Vacation
by xBowiegirlx
Summary: Sarah Williams expects her vacation with her family to be just like it always is. Boring. But maybe, just maybe, this vacation will end up being the best ever... (J&S)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **It's a new story! I just thought that it's been such a long time since I started writing a new fanfiction (Don't worry, I still have plans to finish 'I wish' if you still want it) And I must admit, it's nice to write something new.

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Labyrinth (Sad face) All rights go to the Jim Henson Company.

_Chapter 1_

_September, 21__st__ 1991_

"Three hours drive to the same place every summer… When will Dad and Karen become more adventurous?"

It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the family vacations at Happy Trees Woodland Park. But they had been going there every single year since she was a little girl. Why couldn't they go abroad instead? It wasn't like they couldn't afford it. Robert was making good money and Karen's interior design company had taken off big time in the last few years,so between them, a trip to Paris or Greece wouldn't cost much. But, no. Happy Trees Park it was.

_Again._

Sighing, she drove up the long gravel road which was lined with tall pine trees. She did have good memories here. And she knew Toby and Dad loved it. Karen always tried to convince Robert to go somewhere new. She, like Sarah, would love a vacation abroad but Robert would always insist that they go to Happy Trees again.

She smiled to herself.

_I do understand why Dad loves it. Fishing at the pond with Toby, sitting round a camp fire with a few beers in the evening, telling his 'Dad jokes' The pool on a particularly hot day. Bike rides through the trees. I get it… _

She picked up the flyer that the woman at the gates had given her, reading through it quickly to see which lodge they were in this year. She laughed when she read the familiar numbers.

Lodge 1344.

The same Lodge they had stayed in last year… And the year before. And the year before that. Why did he always arrange to stay in the same bloody lodge? Shaking her head as she thought about her Father and his strange ways, she took a sharp left deeper into the forest. After driving a little further down the road she saw the familiar dark wood log cabin. Her Dad's silver Jaguar was parked in the drive but there was plenty of space for her to park as well. Before she'd even stopped the engine Toby came running out of the Lodge. He was wearing his jeans and favorite blue stripped t shirt. His blonde curls bouncing around his face as he pulled the car door open, before throwing his arms around his sister.

Laughing she stroked his hair "You could let me get out the car first, Kiddo."

The young boy shook his head, his arms still tightly locked around his sister's neck. "Nope!"

She smiled and hugged him tightly. She hadn't seen him in a few weeks. she'd recently moved out and into her own apartment and even though it was only ten minutes away from her childhood home, she hadn't had a spare moment due to her work in the coffee shop and so she was more than glad to be spending some quality time with him this week.

"I've missed you, too. Hey, why not help me unload the car? I brought your sun hat with me. Mom said you'd forgotten it" she sighs, shaking her head.

"Yeah… got too excited and I forgot it I guess." He shrugged, finally allowing Sarah to get out of her vehicle.

She opened the boot of her car, taking out her bags with Toby's help.

"I thought I heard a voice" came the chirpy voice of her step mother as she walked down from the balcony and over to the car, giving Sarah a tight embrace.

"It's good to see you, Karen. Where's Dad?"

Karen sighed. "Guess?"

"Not already making reservations for dinner, surely?"

"Oh, yes. We hadn't been here an hour when he said he'd go and do it." Karen laughed, shaking her head as she watched Toby pull one of Sarah's bags up the stairs of the balcony.

"Every year!It's not like you even have to make reservations at this place."

"I know, dear. But he insists he does it. Best to just leave him to it. At least it keeps him out of trouble." She laughs, picking up Sarah's other bag and taking it into the house. Sarah locked her car and tried to hide a laugh as she saw Toby still struggling to get her bag over the last step.

"Need help, Toby?"

"No, I've got it all under control" he said as he wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

Not wanting to wound his pride and smiled "Well as long as you're sure. And you are a lot stronger than I am."

"Hell yeah, I am!" he grinned as he finally managed to pull the bag over the step and in through the door.

"Thanks, Tobes. You're the best." She placed a kiss to his forehead and he quickly whipped it off with his arm. "Hey! No more kisses" he pouted, crossing his arms."I'm too old for that now"

"Oh? But nobody is too old for a kiss, Toby." She said softly just as she heard her Father approaching her.

"That's very true," She heard the voice of her Father say as he walked in through the door. He smiled and hugged his daughter tightly.

Smiling and hugged him back. "Hey, Dad! Made reservations for 6:00?"

Karen snorted behind her.

"Of course I did, honey. What kind of Father would I be if I didn't make sure we had a dinner for tonight?"

Every year they would start their vacation with a meal at the parks Hunting Lodge style restaurant and the rest of the week they would have a barbecue or Karen would cook.

"I'm glad everything is sorted." She smiled. "I'm gonna take my things to my room."

"You're in the double room next to Toby's" Karen said as she filled up the coffee machine.

Nodding, she picked up her bags and started up the stairs.

The rest of the day was spent unpacking her things, having a quick lunch of sandwiches and a cup of tea with her Dad, Toby and Karen out on the balcony. The four of them enjoying their view of the forest and the sound of the birds. Then taking a quick shower and getting ready for their dinner at the Hunting Lodge. Karen had knocked on her bedroom door and told her to dress nicely as there was going to be entertainment tonight and perhaps she and Sarah could stay after dinner if Robert and Toby didn't want to. Sarah had smiled and agreed. It would be nice to enjoy the entertainments that she didn't usually get to.

After re-planning her outfit she finally decided on a simple dark blue summer dress with a thin cardigan in case it got chillier in the evening, and a pair of her favorite black converse sneakers.

She didn't miss how Karen sighed at seeing her wearing the offending item and she gently asked her to reconsider her choice in shoes.

To which she had replied "Really, I'd rather just wear these. We're not exactly going to a fancy restaurant. And besides, these are comfortable." Sarah wasn't exactly a child anymore and so Karen left the conversation there even though she would have liked to push her further and make her wear the pale pink designer heels she had brought her for Christmas.

Sarah descended the dark wood stairs. Peering into the lounge she saw her Father pulling his tie straight in the mirror.

"Dad, you're wearing a suit? " She smirked as he turned to her, now adjusting his cuff links.

"Sarah, you know I always wear a suit when we go out to dinner. We're almost five minutes late. Karen!" he called up the stairs

"Coming!"

"Dad, don't fret. It's only a short walk"

Her father shook his head "It's a ten minute walk at least. It'll be better to take the car. Karen said you two might hang out and enjoy the entertainment tonight?"

"I guess that means you won't be joining us?"

"It's not my scene. I'll bring Toby back and we'll play a game or something."

Karen came rushing down the stairs and Sarah sighed as she noticed the designer skirt and blazer she wore. Complete with shoulder pads and the busy design of big orange, yellow and pink roses.

"Honey, we're ten minutes late" Robert warned

"I know, I'm ready to leave, I was just helping Toby."

Sarah watched in amusement as Toby suddenly come sliding down the banister "Wheeee!"

Karen gasped "Toby, stop it! You'll get yourself all dirty" she used her napkin to brush away the nonexistent dust from her son's trousers.

"Karen, Toby, Sarah, come on." Robert called again, opening the door and waiting impatiently, taping his foot.

Before another word was said they all jumped into the car and Robert drove them to the reception area.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Hmm… I'll take the steak," Robert passed the menu back to the waitress once she had finished taking their orders.

Sarah glanced around the restaurant that she was all too familiar with and sighed.

Nothing ever seemed to change here.

She watched as families sat and talked around their tables, eating and laughing. Boyfriends and girlfriends sat at the bar at the other side of the room, whispering sweet words to each other. Every now and again there would be the happy laugh or scream from a delighted child as their parents allowed them to have another candy bar or fizzy drink since they were on vacation and couldn't be denied the privilege.

Despite her earlier embarrassment with her parent's choice of clothing, she noticed that many other families were also dressed smartly. Maybe tonight's entertainment was a little fancier than the usual karaoke they had every year.

Toby was fidgeting in his seat beside her uncomfortably; she leaned close to him. "What's up, kiddo?"

"I'm bored." He grumbled. His arms folded over his chest.

"You and me both, kid." She laughed "But I thought you loved it here?"

"I did. But I hate it in here. Why couldn't we have a barbecue?"

She shrugged "Dad always likes to just chill out here on the first night. You know that."

"But it's boring!" he moaned again, swinging his legs as he started to play with his knife and fork. Karen immediately scolded him for doing so before returning to her conversation with Robert. "No fun" he mumbled under his breath as his arms returned to their previous place across his chest.

"While we wait for dinner why don't we take a quick look around? I saw a fish tank out by the reception."

He seemed to lighten up at this and straightened "Yeah! Let's explore." He grinned, getting to his feet.

Sarah excused herself from the table "I'm just going to show Toby the fish tank at reception."

Robert nodded "Just be back for when food arrives."

"I will. Hold, my hand Tobes." She said and he did without hesitation. Sarah smiled as she walked around with him.

She showed him all the interesting things in the room such as the mounted deer heads on the wooden walls.

"Can we see the fish now?" he said excitedly once he had asked her enough questions about why people hunt deer.

"Sure." She led him through one of the heavy doors, walking only a few short steps down a hall till they made it to the reception. Toby's eyes grew large as he saw the enormous fish tank that was situated behind the desk. "Wow!"

Sarah smiled as her brother went to take a closer look at the various tropical fish that lived in the huge tank.

"This is so cool! He whispered as he brushed the glass gently with the back of his little fingers. "I wish Mom would let me get a fish"

Sarah smiled sadly as she got down to her brothers height and stroked his hair. "I know… But they aren't easy creatures to care for. You have to clean their tanks out often and I can't imagine she or Dad have the time to look after them. And you have school"

"I know" he sighed, looking disappointed suddenly.

"At least you can enjoy them now."

His mood seemed to lighten again and he nodded, walking over to the other side of the tank to get a better look at some of the other fish. Sarah rose and walked to the window, gazing outside at the forest that surrounded them. It was getting dark already and it was only 7:00. A sure sign that winter was on its way. Not that Sarah minded of course. She loved the colder months of the years. Autumn and winter were the seasons that made her feel glad to be alive.

Something white flew through the trees suddenly; shaking her from her previous thoughts. Was that an owl? Tiptoeing and pressing her face against the glass of the window she caught sight of it again briefly before it vanished into the trees. Yes, that was a barn owl! She was sure of it.

Sarah didn't know why, but seeing the barn owl as it swooped through the trees gave her strange sort of nostalgic feeling in her heart. It was like a memory she didn't know she had… a rather uneasy one at that. But what memory?

"Wow, look! A puffer fish!" Toby's voice broke her from her thoughts and uneasy feelings. Shaking her head she walked back over to him. "Come on, Dad won't be happy if we miss dinner."

Dinner went by painfully slow for Sarah. She found she wasn't able to hold a conversation at the table or finish the food she had ordered. The memory of the barn owl was clouding her mind and she couldn't figure out why.

Karen, noticing her step daughter's discomfort, and places a hand on her knee. "You seem a million miles away, dear. Are you feeling alright?"

Sarah managed a weak smile "I'm fine… just feel a little spaced out." She admitted as she pushed her now cold food around on her plate.

"Maybe a drink will help? Let's have a glass of wine. Your Father and Toby have gone to play ball before it gets too dark. Then they'll just go back and watch movies so there isn't anything to rush back for."

She nodded in agreement, not wanting to disappoint her step mother. In the last few years there relationship had really blossomed a considerable amount and she didn't want anything to jeopardize it. "Sure."

Karen smiled sweetly and picked up her purse "I'll go order us a glass at the bar. Wait here."

Sarah nodded and Karen got in line at the bar.

She watched as the entertainment for the evening arrived and started setting up their various instruments. Normally a live band would have excited Sarah. She loved music and always wished she'd learned to play piano or violin when she was younger. But all she could think of was that damn owl!

_Sarah, you need to get a life! It was an owl! Not a ghost! Cheer up and stop thinking about it!_

_Yes… okay. But why did that barn owl open a box of feelings and memories I didn't know I had? Why did seeing that one barn owl for less than a minute excite me and terrify me? Why did it make me feel like I've forgotten something… something important to me…_

Karen sat herself back down at the table and passed Sarah the glass of wine.

"You'll like this one. It's French."

Sarah smiled and took a sip "Oh! That's nice."

"Isn't it? I may have to buy a bottle for the Lodge. I was thinking tomorrow we could go to the spa? We haven't ever done that together while we've been here before. Your Father and Toby are going fishing so it's the perfect time." She said as she sipped on her sparkling white wine.

"That sounds nice" She tried to sound enthusiastic but Karen knew Sarah well enough to know she wasn't. She leaned closer to her. "What is it Sarah? You don't seem yourself… boy trouble?"

"What? No! I-"

"I know you still miss him… it is normal to feel sad sometimes."

Sarah groaned.

"Karen, I've been single for a year now. I've gotten over Liam" she said bitterly as she drained her wine.

Karen blinked in surprise at seeing Sarah drink so fast. "I didn't mean to pry. I just want to help."

"Really, Karen, I'm fine. I'm just tired. Long drive here, ya know… I was working all weekend too and I haven't really had a rest."

"That's why I thought a spa day would do you good. I know I could use one."

Sarah smiled weakly. "You're right… it would be nice. I'd love a massage."

"Great! Then it's settled. I'll make us an appointment for tomorrow morning."

The band started playing and Sarah and Karen watched in silence for awhile. The music was lively and it lifted Sarah's spirits again. They ordered more wine, laughed about Robert and his set ways, and before she'd even finished consuming her third glass of wine, Sarah was up and dancing. She didn't drink often and the wine had gone right to her head. It didn't help that she had barely touched her food at dinner time. Karen stayed at their table with her purse, drinking wine and munching on a selection of olives and cheeses. Every now and then she'd snap a couple of photographs of her step daughter on the dance floor. At 11:00 Karen grabbed her purse and walked through the crowds of people that now flooded the dance floor. Eventually she found Sarah in the middle, dancing her heart out. She reached over and touched her shoulder "Sarah, I'm heading back to the Lodge now! Will you be ok?" Sarah nodded shouting over the top of the loud music "Yeah! I'll be fine! See you in the morning!"

Karen nodded and quickly left.

Sarah loved this. The music was great. And it had been such a long time since she'd danced. Her body swayed perfectly in time with the tunes that were being expertly played on the instruments. She was a good dancer. Many people had told her she had the gift of movement and she didn't mind showing it off sometimes.

She suddenly felt a hand on the small of her back and she turned around quickly to see who it was. She almost fell when she found herself gazing up at the familiar face of her ex boyfriend. "Liam?!"

His response was a smug smile "Sarah, babe… you look incredible" he whispered in her ear seductively. She jerked away from him "Excuse me, but you have no right to touch me or call me babe! I'm not your 'babe!'" God she hated Liam now. Once they had been really close and he had often come here on vacation with her. They had dated for two years but one night when they'd gone to her best friend's house party, she'd walked in on him with her half naked in her bed. After that Sarah had dumped him without a second thought and her friendship with Sally was over. Ever since that night Liam had tried to go out with her again. He'd hated the fact that Sarah had dumped him and not vice versa. Sometimes he'd wait outside of the coffee shop she worked at. Sometimes he'd turn up at her house and now he had come on vacation to the very place he knew he'd find her.

"Sarah, you need to chill out, babe"

"What the hell are you doing here, Liam?I've told you time and time again that you blew your chances with me after fucking my best friend!" she shouted, not caring that she was causing a scene.

"I never actually did it, Sarah. You never let me explain!" he pleaded

"There was nothing to explain! You were naked in bed with my best friend, Liam! That is enough for me. This conversation is over!" how dare he come and ruin this. She'd actually been enjoying herself for the first time in ages and he had to show up and ruin it. She turns on her heel away from him before he could say anything else. She tried to focus and watch the band again.

She thought she'd succeeded until she felt hands slide over her hips, and she felt him grinding himself against her ass "You have to admit it… you miss this" he whispered and to Sarah's horror he was hard against her thigh

"Get off me you freak!" she shouted, turning and pushing him with all her strength and he went tumbling to the floor. Several people gasped and rushed to his side. Angry tears filled Sarah's eyes and she fled the restaurant before anyone saw her cry.

She ran into the trees, not caring that it was now past midnight and pitch black in the forest. She was glad that she'd decided to wear her flats. She ran and ran until she was sure she was far enough away from the restaurant. The live music was now very faint. She leaned up against a tree and allowed herself to cry.

She hated him. She hated that she'd ever allowed him to hold her heart. He'd betrayed her in the worst kind of why and she'd be lying if she said he hadn't broken her heart. And now here he was again. And he was ruining her family vacation. She scrubbed at her eyes angrily as the tears continued to fall. She would not let him get the better of her. She hadn't been lying when she told Karen she had gotten over him. She had. She was over him the moment he'd betrayed her. She had been sad for awhile, that was true. Two years with someone was a long time and once they had had something special, or so she thought. So she knew it wasn't sorrow or missing him that made her cry. It was her anger. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs in this forest just to get it all out of her system but she couldn't. It was late and she wasn't selfish enough to wake up everyone while they were on vacation.

Feeling helpless, she slid down the tree until her bum found the ground.

_It's not fair!_

_No, it's not. But that's the way it is…_

Suddenly the wind picked up and Sarah shivered. It hadn't been windy at all earlier, she realized. In fact, today had been rather hot and Sarah had been wishing for the breeze that September normally promised.

She hugged herself, trying to stop the tears. This wasn't how she wanted this to go. She hadn't seen her family in weeks and she didn't want anything to ruin the time they had together before she went back home and to work. Liam would not have this much power over her.

_You have no power over me.._

Those words… why did she get the feeling she'd said them before? Had she dreamt it once? Or was she going mad?

Soft leather gently caressed her arms and Sarah gasped "Who's there?" when she heard no answer she swallowed hard. Perhaps running into the forest at midnight wasn't the best idea after all. The feeling of leather continued to caress her and she reached forward, trying to feel who was there. It was dark, and although her eyes were adjusting to the darkness, she still couldn't quite see. Her hands were met with cool emptiness and her confusion intensified. A feeling swept over her then, a felling of comfort, of safety, like somebody was lovingly embracing her. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling. She felt the soft touch of leather stroke her cheek, wiping away her tears. She shivered as she felt something that she could only imagine to be warm breath against her neck, and then lips, gently kissing her neck. She sighed, tilting her head back against the tree as she savored the sensation. A small moan escaping her parted lips.

And then, just as soon as it had begun, it vanished. The comforting feeling of lips and arms were gone and Sarah found she missed them.

"What on earth… was that?" she whispered aloud after finally managing to open her eyes.

"Well… whatever it was or whoever it was… thanks." In truth, she felt a little silly saying this. She didn't believe in ghosts but after that experience she would have to reconsider the possibility. Or maybe it was her vivid imagination. She had always had a very active imagination and she'd often been told off for it, especially at school.

Deciding she'd spent long enough hiding in the forest she got up and made her way back to the lodge. She knew it couldn't be far from here.

Perhaps if it hadn't of been so dark she would have noticed as a barn owl flew above her, making sure she got back to her lodge safely…

**AN: So... what do you all think so far? I've never written a fic where Sarah and her Step mother get along and I must admit, it's a refreshing change.**

**Would you like me to continue? :) Oh, and don't worry, Our beloved Goblin King will show up soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **What's this? a chapter update already?! You bet your bottom dollar it is! A short chapter this time, but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Labyrinth, unfortunately. All rights go to the Jim Henson company.

Chapter Two

_"__But you're always there, like a ghost in my dreams…"_

The next day Sarah and Karen enjoyed a morning at the spa and even though Sarah hadn't really been overly fussed about going, she found she very much enjoyed the pampering.

It was just gone 12 when they got back to the lodge. Toby and Robert were still fishing and Karen was glad to get the cabin to herself and Sarah for awhile.

"I think I might just go and sit on the balcony and read my book" Sarah said as she grabbed her book from her purse.

"You and your books..." Karen laughed, shaking her head "Go ahead. I'm going to prepare something for lunch."

Sarah nodded and grabbed herself a can of soda from the fridge on her way out. The day was overcast and a little chilly so Sarah made sure to grab her over-sized denim jacket on her way out as well. Once she had gotten comfortable on the sun lounger, she picked up her book. Pride and Prejudice. One of her favorite novels. She'd read it so many times before but she found she never really grew tired of it. She was a sucker for a romance novel.

Slowly her fingers traced over the gold letters and smiled sadly. Her Grandmother on her Father's side had given this to her before she died and for that reason alone it made her treasure the book even more. Gently she opened it and was about to continue in her reading when she noticed there was something written at the top of one of the pages.

First, she felt upset. This book was old and in good condition and somebody had carelessly written on it! _It must have been Toby. _She thought. He was the only one who would do something like this to annoy her. But then she realized the writing was far too perfect and elegant to be his. Maybe her Grandmother had written in it… but she'd read this book many times and never noticed it before. Perhaps she'd been too involved in the story to notice it until now.

"How you turned my world, you precious thing…" she whispered

Why on earth would her Grandmother write that? She didn't know why but something didn't feel right about this. She found herself unable to stop as her fingers gently brushed over the words and she gasped when they smeared across the page.

This had only just been written.

The realization hit her and a cold chill worked it's way down her body. She dropped the old book onto the balcony and gazed at her hands, watching as the ink slowly slid down her finger.

Freaked out by the whole experience she jumped up from her chair and ran into the lodge. Karen was busy chopping vegetables when she saw Sarah return into the house looking as though she'd just seen a ghost.

"Sarah? What's wrong?"

She slowly looked into the concerned face of her Step Mother and swallowed. "I… I don't know… something strange just happened to me… please, come and see"

Karen followed Sarah back outside without hesitation. Sarah had told her earlier when they were at the spa about how Liam had turned up after she left and had tried it on with her. So she was worried that maybe he had done something to her.

Sarah swept down and picked up the book. "Open to the first page of chapter three."

Karen furrowed her brow and opened the book, gazing at it with a blank expression on her face. "Um… Sarah, I don't know why you called me out here to read your book. There is nothing unusual here…"

Sarah quickly took the book from her and gazed at the book. There were no words. no ink. Not even the slightest bit. "But… there was writing. Up here" she pointed to the top of the page "It was written in ink and I got it on my finger."

Karen reached for Sarah's hand and turned it. "There is no ink on your finger, Sarah…"

She was right.

Sarah shivered as she suddenly felt very cold. "But… it was there… I know it was" she whispered, turning the pages in the book to see if she'd passed it by accident.

"Honey… maybe you need to go and lie down…"

"No! It wasn't in my head! There was something written in ink on the top of this page"

"And what was written on it exactly?"

"I… can't remember." She put a hand on her forehead and frowned. She'd just read it… how had she forgotten already?

"Please, Sarah… come inside and have a rest."

Sarah didn't protest as Karen gently put an arm around her and escorted her back indoors.

Robert noticed that Sarah was very quiet at lunch. She didn't touch her food and she looked as though she was trying to remember something. Her brows were drawn together over her eyes and she was biting her bottom lip. Something she always did when she was upset or distressed. Before he could ask her what was wrong Toby chirped up.

"Sarah, can we go to the pool?"

She sighed and looked over at her brother who had finished his lunch and his sisters. "Not right now, Toby…"

He looked disappointed and pouted at her "But you promised before we came…"

"I know… but I don't think I can right now, Toby." She hated letting him down and she felt a wave of guilt sweep other her as she noticed the tears gather in the six year olds eyes.

"You promised…"

"It's true, Sarah. You did promise." Robert interrupted. He knew something was wrong with Sarah; even though he wasn't sure exactly what. Whatever it was, perhaps going for a swim with Toby would do her some good. "You did always say you wanted to keep your promises, honey. I know you'll regret it if you don't. Besides;" he leaned over the table "I was hoping to catch a moment with your Mother… privately."

Sarah knew she wasn't getting out of this and sighed, giving in. "Fine." She got up and didn't miss Toby's delighted cheer of victory. He jumped down from his seat. "Let's go now!"

"Let me change first. Get ready and we'll leave in five minutes."

Toby nodded and ran up the stairs faster than she'd seen in sometime.

Sarah had to admit that she had had fun at the pool with Toby. The two of them had laughed and splashed each other for hours. Sarah felt her muscles ache as they walked back through the forest to get back to the lodge.

"That was so much fun" Toby said as he looked up at his sister. His hair was still damp and it stuck to his face, little droplets of water landed on his shoulders, making his red jumper wet.

"Yeah, it was fun." She smiled and squeezed his hand in hers gently. There was a clash of thunder and Sarah glanced up as the heavens opened and rain started pouring from the sky.

"Looks like we're about to get even more wet, Kiddo" she laughed as Toby cried out "Naughty rain! This is my new sweater!"

"It's not the rain, remember? It's the gods! They must be unhappy about something" Sarah grinned. Many a time she'd read the book to Toby about Norse Mythology and he'd asked her to read it to him multiple times after.

"Thor must be angry, Sarah! What should we do?" he looked up at his sister, blinking away the rain drops as they threatened to fall into his eyes.

"Hmm… maybe you should try to cheer him up… I know! Do a rain dance!"

Toby grinned at this and immediately started to dance in the middle of the forest, throwing his arms up in the air and allowing the rain to pelt against his face. Sarah laughed as she watched him. One thing was sure; this boy was most definitely her brother. Thunder clashed again loudly and Toby called to his sister "You're not respecting the Gods, Sarah! Come on, dance!"

Sarah shook her head. Was she really about to start dancing like a madman in the rain in the middle of the forest? Apparently she was. She laughed merrily as she swirled around in the rain, her face turned up towards the heavens and arms up in the air just as Toby's had been. All her thoughts of the day seemed to leave her in this moment and she felt like a child again. Toby always seemed to bring out this side of her even when she thought it no longer existed. She stayed like this for some time until she heard a gasp escape her brother's lips.

"Sarah! Look! An owl!"

Her eyes snapped open just as the barn owl swept passed her. It was so close; she could have almost reached out and touched it. Both she and Toby watched in awe as the beautiful creature disappeared into the forest once more.

"Wow…" she breathed

"That was epic!" Toby grinned "I think that was Thor's way of saying he liked our dance."

"Maybe it was…" she felt that same uneasiness consume her again, the blissful careless feeling now gone once more. "Come on, let's go home. I'm soaked and Dad and Karen aren't going to be happy about it."

After a hot bath and dinner, Sarah thanked Karen and told her she was going to have an early night. Karen had greatly encouraged her on this; after the way she'd been acting today. "I think that's a good idea. Sometimes a sleep is just what's needed to reset the mind." She smiled and hugged her gently.

But try as she might, Sarah could not sleep. She tossed and turned in her bed for hours. When she looked at the alarm clock by her bedside table she realized she'd been trying to sleep for five hours. She'd said goodnight at 10:30 and it was now 3:30 in the morning.

Sighing, she sat up and crawled to the end of her bed where the window was. She wondered if it was getting light out or if she could spot any wild animals in the forest. She pulled the curtains back and gazed out. It was still dark but it had finally stopped raining. The moon was shining brightly between the trees. Resting her head on her arms on the window sill, she gazed at it. It was almost full. Maybe that's why strange things had been happening; she thought.

She laughed then. _Sarah, you can't blame the moon for the things that have been happening._

She glanced over at her Pride and Prejudice book which she had been examining pretty much all night, trying to find a trace of where that writing had been. When she'd once again not found any trace, she wondered if she was going mad. This thought frightened her. She didn't feel like she was mad… but she had seen those words on her Grandmothers book. She knew she had.

She almost jumped out of her skin when she glanced back out of her window. For there, sat on the edge on her window sill, was the barn owl, gazing at her intently. Her heart was pounding in her chest when she noticed the creature's eyes were mismatched. One was light blue and one was dark brown. She was no animal expert, but she was certain that barn owls didn't have blue eyes…

Slowly she presses her hand against the cool glass of the window, fully expecting the owl to flee. But it didn't. Instead it leaned against the window where her hand was, as through it was trying to lean into her touch.

"Who are you?" she whispered as she watched him. "Why do I keep seeing you?"

The owl only blinked at her

"I don't understand this… any of this..." She moved her hand from the window as the owl suddenly took off. "Don't go… I need you" she whispered. Where was this coming from? She didn't need an owl! And why did she talk to it as though it was a human that could hear her?

She watched as the owl flew into the night, unaware of the tears that slid down the cheeks of Sarah Williams. "I don't want you to go…" She sobbed, her shoulders hitching. In truth, she had no idea where these words and feeling were coming from. Her mouth was running away with her and she wasn't sure she liked it. Maybe she was mad. Maybe she should leave tomorrow and head to a hospital or something because this wasn't making sense to even her.

She glanced over at the clock, trying to see what time it was with teary eyes. Once she'd scrubbed at her eyes and the tears were gone, she looked once more and a sick feeling come over her when she saw the time.

_Thirteen o'clock._

Sarah could do nothing but sit and stare with her mouth wide open as all the memories come flooding back.

_"__You asked the child be taken, I took him…"_

_"__Fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."_

_"__You have no power over me!"_

She gasped and her hand flew over her mouth as the realization hit her.

"How could I of ever forgotten? Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymas…" she swallowed

"The Goblin King…"

It was one of the most important experiences in her life and she'd forgotten it. She'd forgotten them. Guilt washed over her as she wondered how they must have felt when she didn't ever call them again. Where they all still alive? Where they happy? Did… they miss her? Or had they forgotten her as well?

She knew now. She knew why she'd felt so empty for so long. Why she'd felt like a nobody for such a long time. She'd never really achieved much in her twenty years of life apart from defeating the Goblin King and getting her brother back. The whole experience had made her realize that she was stronger then she looked, braver than she thought, and more powerful than she'd ever believed possible.

"Through dangers untold…" she whispered as she rose from the bed, crossing the room. It was cold and she was only wore her flannel night shirt and knickers but she didn't care. "And the hardships unnumbered..." She made her way down the stairs as quietly as she could so not to wake up anyone "I've fought my way here to the castle, beyond the goblin city..." She slowly walked to the front door, turning the key until she heard it click as it unlocked "To take back the child that you have stolen… for my will is as strong as yours..." she pulled open the door and the wind hit her immediately, it started to dance with the dark wavy strands of her hair. "And my Kingdom is as great…"

"Say your right words…"

She knew that voice. Her heart swelled in her chest as she tried to contain herself.

She closed her eyes "I need you…right now" she breathed as she heard the flap of wings and then the click of heeled boots as they walked over the wooden balcony.

She swallowed again as she felt the soft touch of leather against her cheek.

"Sarah…"

Slowly she opened them and her green eyes met his blue. She felt the wind pick up around her and her body tingled with a spark of magic. Everything around her seemed to glow. It was as though the forest itself was whispering in her ear

_"__He's here, he's here, The King is here…" _

"Jareth…"

Thin lips turned up into a smile and the eyes of the Goblin King seemed to gleam with happiness.

"You remembered…"

"I don't know how I ever forgot…" she admitted as she gazed up at him.

"You let someone take your power away" he murmured sadly as his thumb slowly caressed the side of her face "He made you forget your certain powers… he made you forget your magic. But now it has returned. And nobody can ever take it away from you again."

Sarah cursed herself as tears began to stream down her cheeks again. Since when had she ever been this much of an emotional wreck? to her surprise Jareth wiped them away gently

"Don't cry…" He said softly

"I... I don't ever want forget it again. Living without magic has been so dull."

He smiled gently "You never truly lived without it. It was always within you, somewhere locked up, just waiting for you to notice it again. If you'd of truly forgotten it, I couldn't be here now."

"You tried to jog my memory, didn't you? You… you wrote in my book."

Jareth threw his head back then and laughed. Sarah found she very much enjoyed the sound of his rich laughter. It was so genuine. She'd never heard him laugh before, she realized. Somehow seeing him like this made him seem all the more real to her and not just a figment of her imagination.

"Well, when my owl form wasn't good enough I had to try something else. But I did remove it after, did I not? So that your precious book was back to its exceptional condition."

She nodded, a small smile playing at her lips. "Yes, you did." She sniffed and gazed at him for a moment, her eyes searching his. "Thank you… for helping me remember what was missing in my life."

He leaned closer to her, tilting her chin up so she was looking directly up at his face. "You are welcome, precious. Always."

After a moment of silent gazing, Sarah spoke. "So what now?"

"Now? Well… now you can enjoy the rest of your vacation with your family."

Sarah's heart sank in disappointment. Had she been hoping for him to say something else?

"Where will you be?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.

"Me? I'll be… around." He grinned and moved away from her. "Enjoy your vacation, Sarah." And with that, he was gone. All that was left behind was a mist of glitter and a slight feeling of electricity in the air.

**AN: Whoop! Sarah's finally remembered! Did you ever date someone who completely made you forget who you are? I know I have. I tried so hard to fit in with him that I forgot who I was. It was only when we broke up that I remembered who I was again, and what I loved. That's what happened to Sarah. But thanks to Jareth, she's remembered her magic, she has remembered her worth. :) I know it's a shorter chapter than last, but I really wanted to introduce Jareth to the story. I promise the next chapter will be longer! Hope you're enjoying it so far! Please don't forget to review! It's so great to see what people think of the random stories that come into my head.**


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN:**__Hey guys! its been ages since I uploaded another chapter! for some reason I just couldn't get inspired to finish this chapter until now. I hope you all like it! I do ask that you forgive any mistakes in this chapter, though - I'm __extremely__ tired as I write this and I did read over it a few __times__, but as I'm so tired I may have missed a few things. I will hopefully come back to this chapter at some point, to tidy it up a bit. _

_I really hope you like this part! please don't forget to review and let me know what you think so far! :) _

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Labyrinth. all rights go to the Jim Henson company.

Chapter Three

Sarah sipped on her steaming hot mug of mushroom soup, enjoying the warmth and the salty flavor. Today had been a good day. They had all gone on a long bike ride through the forest, and then they'd gone back to the cabin and had a barbecue, which Sarah had to admit, was pretty damn good. After that they had gone for a swim in the pool, and even Karen and Robert had joined them. Sarah smiled to herself as she remembered the happy smiles on their faces. It was so good to see Dad and Karen enjoying themselves for once when usually they were always busy with work. It was also lovely for Toby to have that much needed fun with his parents.

She had to admit, that she'd felt so much better after her meeting with The Goblin King. Her mind felt so much clearer now, like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She wondered why remembering her trip through the Labyrinth would make such a huge difference to her mentally.

She crossed her legs and took another sip from her 'd found herself looking out for him, hoping to catch a glimpse of him in his owl form when they'd been out on the bike ride earlier that day, and she had to admit that she had been rather disappointed when there was no sign of him.

She sighed heavily as she gazed into the fire pit, watching as the flames danced together like old lovers. She felt like she owed Jareth a great debt. He'd helped her remember who she was again and for that reason, she wished she could see him again.

"Sarah, Mom said we can toast marshmallows and make some s'mores!"

Sarah smiled over at her brother as she watched him climb down the stairs of the balcony. He was holding a massive bag of giant marshmallows and some sticks that he must have gathered from the forest earlier for them to use.

"Sounds like fun," she finished her soup and pulled her denim jacket tighter around herself

Toby grinned as he rushed over; he roughly plopped himself onto the ground beside his sister and sat with crossed legs. He passed her a stick and then opened the bag of marshmallows, taking one out and passing it to her. Sarah chuckled "Mom wouldn't be happy with your manners, Toby."

"Opps!" he shoved the fluffy marshmallow in his mouth and then offered Sarah the bag.

"Thanks," She took one from the packet and stuck it on the end of her stick.

"What are Dad and Kar-Mom, doing?" she asked as she poked her marshmallow into the flames.

"They are watching some boring political thingy," He grumbled with his mouth still full.

Sarah shook her head and chuckles as she turned her stick around in the fire before she pulled it back, waiting for it to cool a bit before she pressed on the hot sugary goodness which was now gooey.

"Mmm… yours looks good!" he grinned as he put his own marshmallow into the fire

"It tastes good too!" She said as she sucked the sugar from her finger.

They sat like this for awhile, simply toasting marshmallows together. Every now and again Toby would comment on how much better hers looked than his, but for the most part he was rather quiet, which was more than unusual for the boy. But the silence was broken suddenly

"Who was that man you were talking to last night?"

Sarah gasped in shock at his question, dropping her marshmallow and stick into the fire.

Toby simply passed her another stick.

"What… what man?" she said quietly, trying to act like she wasn't completely shocked at his question.

"The blonde man… I saw him talking to you out here last night."

Sarah felt her palms sweating. "He's… just someone I used to know. I went outside for some air as I couldn't sleep and he was obviously doing the same thing, he saw me and came over to say hi…"

"Oh…"

"How did you know about him, Toby? Why were you up so late? It was almost 4am,"

"I heard you open the door so I checked out the window to make sure we weren't getting robbed or murdered,"

Sarah shook her head "You've been watching too many horror movies."

He shrugs "Better to be safe than sorry!"

Sarah wondered then if he'd seen Jareth disappear. "How long were you watching us, then?"

"Only for a minute, I couldn't hear what you were saying and it got so boring so I went back to bed."

Sarah let out a sigh of relief "Right… well, don't tell Mom and Dad, okay? They'd only worry or think something weird was going on."

Toby nodded and put another marshmallow in his mouth.

Oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The next day, Karen, Robert and Toby decided the check out the zoo. It was only a half hours drive from the holiday park and they had both promised Toby last year that they'd visit. Sarah was invited along as well, but she declined the offer and told them she'd rather just have a quiet day to herself. They, of course, had respected her decision and gone without her. Toby had been disappointed that she wasn't coming at first, but he got over it and soon he had forgotten about Sarah. She hated disappointing Toby, but she really needed some time alone. Especially with everything that had happened this week.

Sarah took in a deep breath; the air was '_sweet and fragrant' _she mused to herself as she remembered her friends words.

Even though it was overcast again today, it was warm and every now and again the sun would shine out from behind a cloud, the light filtering through the trees. She closed her eyes as she carried on walking down the public footpath, the breeze was warm and she took a moment to enjoy the feeling of it filtering through her dark hair. She'd decided to walk a different way today, normally she'd keep to the path she was used to, but something had made her want to be a little more adventurous today. She'd packed herself a light lunch of sandwiches and fruit and even a flask of coffee and a bottle of water, deciding that she'd have a quiet picnic when she found a suitable place to stop. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, deciding to take off her jacket and tie it around her waist instead. She had dressed in her old favorites today; Denim shorts and plain white shirt, her hair down as it normally was, but she'd shoved a couple of pins in it to keep her hair from falling into her face too much.

After a while she came to a sign that said 'Pond' in large capital letters, with an arrow showing her that she needed to take a right. She grinned; pleased that she was getting near to a pond she didn't even know existed. She skipped down the path, not caring that she was acting a little bit like a kid; nobody was here to judge her after all.

Only a short time later she came to a clearing in the middle of the woods and there, right in the center, was the huge pond. The sun was shining on the water, reflecting the sky. There were quite a few of dragonflies flying around, and pond skaters were skating around on the surface of the water.

She walked over to a little bench that was situated beside the pond. She took off her backpack and pulled off her shoes, it was a hot day and after all that walking she really needed to cool down.

Leaving her stuff on the bench, she walked to the edge of the pond and paddled in the cool water. This was just what she needed. There were no sounds of children screaming here, no cars, no music or chatter of people, just the birds and the gentle sound of water as the odd fish would swam to the surface to eat one of the bugs that glided around above. She allowed herself to enjoy the moment. Not letting any thoughts come to her mind, simply savoring this moment.

Once she had had enough, she set her jacket down on the ground and sat on it, using it as a picnic blanket. She grabbed her bag and took out her sandwich, nibbling on it. The sun had come out again and after she'd finished eating she decided to lay back and enjoy the warmth. She knew this weather wouldn't last long, since it was almost October. So might as well enjoy it. She closed her eyes and drifted off for awhile.

**_Splash!_**

Sarah's eyes fluttered open and she sat up. That couldn't have been a fish; that was far too loud. She looked around to see if someone had come along and let their dog take a swim to cool down or something, but it was still deadly quiet, and there was no sign of any dogs or people. She gasped when she saw a man rise up from under the watery depths, blonde hair clinging to his pale chest and shoulders. She covered her mouth when she saw his sculptured face, his high cheek bones, and the elegant way his eyebrows swooped upwards.

This wasn't just any man. This was the Goblin King.

She'd never seen anything as otherworldly as this before. Yes, at first glance he just looked like a slim pale man with long blonde hair. But when the sun reflected on him, it made him look like something from a fairy tale… which was kind of what he was. His skin looked flawless in the light. There were no scars or marks, just skin so perfect that it looked as though it belonged to a new born child. His cheek bones sparkled in the light and Sarah wondered if he was wearing makeup. But then again, if he had of been wearing makeup, wouldn't it all be smudged or gone after being completely under the water? And where did he get makeup that made his cheeks look so sparkly? She'd never seen anything like it before. It simply wasn't human. She wondered then if Jareth was even human. He looked human, but maybe he wasn't.

She blushed darkly when he started to walk back to the shore, the further he walked, the more of his body was revealed to her and she quickly turned away before she saw anything she shouldn't couldn't have known she was here could he? Surely he wouldn't skinny dip deliberately if he knew she was there.

She looked back and saw that he was dressed once more, but in clothes she'd never seen him wear before, tight black leather trousers, black boots, and black t-shirt. His hair was dry once more, and fluffy like she remembered it, but pulled back into a ponytail. She noticed that the markings around his eyes were gone, but his brows still swooped up.

He looked beautiful…

He started to walk down a path on the other side of the pond. Curious to see where he was going, she picked up her jacket and her bag, throwing it over her shoulder, she followed him as quietly as she could, staying close to the trees so she could hide easily should he turn around.

She was surprised to see him walk towards a log cabin which was nicely hidden between the trees and was even more surprised to see him enter and close the door behind him.

He lived in the Underground at the castle beyond the goblin why on earth had she just seen him enter a log cabin? Was… was he staying here?

_"__Why would he be staying here? He's a magical… creature. Why on earth would he be staying here at Happy Trees Park? It doesn't make any sense…"_

_"__And yet, why not? Maybe the Goblin King needs a little vacation away from the Goblins. I'm not sure I could bear to stay with them all the time if I was him."_

Well, one thing was sure. This was getting rather interesting.

Sarah decided not to let the Goblin King know that she knew that he was staying here. She wasn't sure why, but something about spying on him thrilled her, she wanted to know how long she could go without him noticing her. She was glad that he hadn't seen her sleeping by the side of the pool after all, even if it had meant that she'd almost seen something she shouldn't have.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The next day, Sarah walked to the pond again. She waited around to see if she could catch a glimpse of The Goblin King, but time passed and there was still no sign of him. Sarah hated to admit it, but she was disappointed that she hadn't seen him again. She'd been hoping to catch him in the water once more. She blushed when she realized that she'd been thinking a lot about how beautiful he looked without a shirt on, with his long hair, wet and clinging to his body.

She looked at the watch on her wrist and sighed, it was passed five and she'd been sat here in the bushes for over three hours.

_"__God, I'm twenty! Not ten! I shouldn't be acting so childish! So what if The Goblin King IS having a vacation in my world and enjoying it?Why did I have to go act all childish and try to spy on him? Expecting something strange or interesting to happen? He's just on vacation! Leave and go enjoy the rest of the day with your family." _

After her inner voice had scolded her for behaving like a child, she stood and climbed out of the bushes, cursing herself for wearing shorts when her legs got stung by nettles.

What even was this sudden interest in her childhood villain? By rights she should hate him. After all, he did steal Toby…

She shook her head. No, she had wished Toby away and all that the Goblin King had done was what she had asked him to do. She couldn't hate him. If he realized it or not, she had to admit that he'd taught her a lot and made her who she was now, a much nicer person than she was when she was fifteen.

Now she appreciated everyone in her life, especially Toby.

Even though she'd forgotten about the Goblin King for so long, now that she'd remembered once more, it felt as though she'd never forgotten him, or her friends in the Labyrinth.

She glanced over her shoulder at the pond once more and then laughed to herself for her childish behavior before walking back to the lodge.

O0o0o0o0o

"Dad, Toby?" she called as she pushed the door open, the lodge was quiet and she wondered where everyone was. A note on the table caught her attention and she picked it up, reading the words that were scribbled onto the lined paper.

_Gone for a drink at the bar, join us when you get back. - Dad_

Sarah groaned inwardly. She was sure that if she went tonight she'd probably bump into Liam and he was the last person she wanted to see.

After thinking it over, she decided to go anyway. She'd have her family with her and Liam was too much of a coward to approach her with her Father close.

She quickly changed into jeans, her favorite white cropped shirt and a pale blue satin blazer that her Mother had given to her as a gift a couple of years brushed out her hair and slipped on her well worn white plimsolls. Glancing at her reflection in the mirror briefly before she left.

When she arrived at the bar, she heard the lively music and saw that the room was crowded with people and thick with the smell of cigarette smoke, alcohol and cheap perfume.

She pushed her way through the crowds of people, trying to find her family. It wasn't like her Father to bring Toby to a place like this. Maybe they had left when they saw how many people there were. She was about to leave when she finally caught sight of them at the bar, her father was ordering Karen another vodka and orange juice. Toby was sat at a table by the window, drinking his juice and coloring with his crayons.

"Sarah!" Karen waved and smiled "You look lovely, dear! Did you have a good time on your walk? Did you do find anything interesting?"

She shook her head "Nothing interesting… What are you guys doing here? And why on earth is it so busy tonight?"

"Well, it always is on a Friday night. We wouldn't have come tonight but your Father had a rather stressful call from a client while you were out so I thought it might do him good to get out and have a drink,"

Sarah glanced worriedly over her shoulder at her Father who was paying for the drinks he'd just ordered. "Is everything ok?"

"Yes, for now. I'm just hoping he doesn't get asked to go to court yet. It mean's we'd have to end our vacation early," She said sadly

"Dad never gets a break. Why do they have to call while he's away?" she didn't bother hiding the annoyance in her voice

"Sarah, you know your Father's job as a lawyer will always mean he'll get calls, even if he is on vacation. That's part of what he does and he loves it."

Sarah sighs, running her fingers through her dark hair "I know… I just wish he could catch a break every now and then,"

Robert passed Karen her drink and smiled at Sarah. "Ah, honey, you're here. How was your walk?"

Sarah chuckled, shaking her head "Great."

"I wasn't sure if you'd turn up or not so I didn't order you a drink, but…" He put his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out twenty dollars. "Here's a twenty. Have whatever you want. Oh, and get Toby another juice."

"Oh, thanks, Daddy!" she smiled and walked over to the bar, ordering herself and Toby a drink. A woman started laughing behind her and Sarah turned curiously to see what the woman was laughing at. She blushed when she noticed a man standing beside her, his arm wrapped around her waist, while he nibbled at her neck. The blonde giggled innocently. "Men."

"Oh, um… yeah," She quickly turned away, embarrassed. She paid for the drinks quickly and made her way back to their table. Karen smiled at Sarah's embarrassed expression.

Sarah tried to ignore the hard stare of her Father and Step Mother, but feeling their eyes still on her after a long moment, she slammed down her glass.

"What? What is it?"

Karen looked to Robert and he gave a nod to her. "Well… I just think it would do you good to have a man in your life again… you're twenty now, It is normal for you to want a relationship-"

"I don't need a man in my life to make me happy, just because I'm twenty doesn't mean I have to have a man in my life,"

"No… but I saw the blush that kept over your face when you saw those two people. You may not need a man in some ways, but in others," She raises her brow "In other ways you do need a man."

Sarah gazed at her stepmother and for the first time in years she felt angry with her, and humiliated that she'd talk about such things not only in public, but right in front of her Father and little brother. She pushed her glass away and got up in seconds, scowling at Karen before she stormed out of the bar.

Robert sighed "Perhaps we should have spoken about this after she finished her drink…"

Sarah stormed outside, not caring that she'd just pushed through many embracing couples, making several of them stumble and almost fall. She needed air, and quickly. Once she finally managed to get outside she closed her eyes and leaned back against the brick wall, taking a deep breath, trying to control her anger and embarrassment.

"Ah, Sarah… I didn't know I'd be seeing you again so soon,"

Sarah's eyes snapped open and she turned to see none other than the Goblin King, leaning against the wall beside her, a cigarette in his un-gloved hand.

"I… you smoke?" She wasn't sure why that was the first question that had come to her mind.

He laughed "Well, not all the time, only when I am in this world,"

Sarah watched, almost mesmerized as he took another puff on his cigarette.

"Do you have a spare?" She asked after a moment

He raised a brow

"Oh, I'm not a child! Give me a damn cigarette," She mumbled and Jareth smirked, reaching into the pocket of his black velvet jacket, taking out the cardboard box of cigarettes and handing it to her.

"Thanks." She took one and blinked in surprise when Jareth lit it for her. She took a long drag and closed her eyes. She'd never been into smoking, true, she'd had a couple of cigarettes with Liam when they were younger, but she didn't really like it and she knew it wasn't good for her, however, right now, she needed it.

Jareth watched her curiously as she smoked. She looked angry and embarrassed, maybe even hurt? He tilted his head to the side, speaking softly. "Something's upset you?"

She glanced up to look up at the starts in the sky and whispered quietly. "Everything's just… too much…"

Jareth leaned a little closer to her, his expression one of concern. "Too much?" he furrowed his brow "Explain."

"Everything!" She threw her arms up in the air, almost dropping her cigarette. "Forgetting about you, my friends, the Labyrinth! My parents asking me personal questions! Liam! Ugh! This vacation is the worst…"

Jareth took a deep breath and nodded. "I see… I'm sorry if I have contributed to your stress,"

Sarah was surprised to hear him offer an apology. None of this was really his fault. In truth she wasn't mad at him; she was just hurt by Karen.

"Why are you sorry? If it wasn't for you I'd probably never have remembered the Labyrinth or anything."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Sarah… of course you would have remembered… in time. I just took it upon myself to jog your memory,"

"Well… I'm glad you did," She gazed at him for a moment and then suddenly her expression changed, a small smirk turning up the corners of her mouth.

Jareth furrowed his brow in confusion "What? What is it?"

Sarah giggled then, covering her mouth with her hand "I'm just thinking how ridiculous this is… I mean, you're the villain from my childhood, all glorious and powerful," she laughs "and right now you're dressed pretty normal, having a conversation with me, a girl you haven't seen since she was fifteen, and smoking outside of a bar in my world." She laughed again, tears forming in her eyes "I mean, I never expected to ever see you again. Hell, I didn't even remember you, but if I had of, this is not how I would have imagined our reunion to be."

Jareth grinned at this, suddenly finding himself laughing as well "I suppose it is quite strange."

"Quite? It's ridiculous! I mean, I'd half expected you to try and get revenge on me for defeating you and beating the Labyrinth"

Jareth sighed, shaking his head. "Honestly, I'm not a sore loser, Sarah. You won fair and square. It's that simple. I'm not about to have a temper tantrum and try and 'seek revenge' on you when all you did was win the game. We are both adults, are we not?"

Sarah gazed at him with her mouth wide open, shocked that the Goblin King was acting so… dare she say it, mature.

"I- Well, then I guess I owe you an apology for expecting that from you,"

Jareth smiled, dropping the end of his cigarette onto the floor, putting it out with the end of his boot. "Then let's start anew."

She nodded after a moment. A new start… She could do that. "Okay, Goblin King,"

Jareth shook his head. "How are we to start anew when you call me that? Call me Jareth…"

"Okay… Jareth," She found herself blushing and wondered how Jareth was having such an effect on her, even just saying his name was sending chills down her spine.

His smile broadened at the flirtatious way she said his name. "Wonderful. Now, allow me to buy you a drink? That is, if your family won't miss you?"

Sarah shook her head "They can spare me for awhile, they won't stay here much longer anyway; Toby will be getting tired soon."

Jareth was glad that she wasn't afraid to speak about Toby with him. He had worried that she would be. "How is the little man doing?"

"Well, he's not so little anymore. He's going to be eight in December,"

Jareth smiled fondly as he remembered holding Toby in his arms for hours on end while Sarah ran the Labyrinth. He had grown very fond of Toby and he still found himself missing him at times. "I cannot believe it's been that long… "

Sarah nodded in agreement "Me neither…"

He gazed at her for a moment, watching as she gazed back at him.

"Let me get you that drink. What do you want?"

"Just Pepsi, please. I don't really drink alcohol,"

Jareth nodded and walked back into the bar, Sarah watched as he elegantly made his way through the crowds of people.

She smiled to herself.

_"__He really seems to have changed since I last saw him_… _he's kind and charming and I don't think I ever realized how handsome he actually is..."_

"Sarah?"

Sarah turned to face Karen, Robert and Toby. She quickly threw the cigarette onto the floor, hoping that they hadn't seen it. Unfortunately, Toby had, but he wasn't about to call her out.

Karen approached her.

"Sarah, I'm really sorry for what I said. I realize that I was out of order for speaking about it, and you're right; you don't need a man in your life to be happy,"

Sarah nodded "I'm sorry I stormed out, I guess I just needed some air. Are you guys leaving already?"

Karen nodded "It's getting late and Robert wants to catch that documentary about Kennedy. Besides, Toby needs to get to bed."

Sarah tried to keep from laughing as Toby crossed his arms and pouted. "I'm not tired! I just want to stay and have fun!"

Robert ruffled his son's blonde curls "When you're older you can stay up later but it's almost nine."

Toby pushed his hand away and tried to flatten out his hair again.

Sarah smiled sadly for him. She knew what it felt like to be a kid, wanting to be out having fun but your parents not allowing it. Maybe tomorrow she'd do something fun with him.

"Are you coming home, honey?" Robert asked her softly

Sarah shook her head "I'm just going to stay here for awhile. You go on ahead and I'll be home later."

They nodded and Karen hugged her gently. "So we're ok, yes?"

Sarah smiled weakly, nodding "Yeah… we're good."

Karen sighed with relief and hugged her again. "Oh, thank god."

Sarah hugged them all and watched as they walked hand in hand, Toby following close behind them; every now and then he'd kick a stone from the gravel path.

"So, Sarah decides to turn up to the party she wasn't invited too,"

Sarah turned around to see Liam standing with his arm locked around a tall blonde girl, several other guys were with him also.

She decided to ignore him and tried to get back into the bar but one of the men who was with him, stood in her way.

Sarah glared at him. "Get out of my way, please."

They all laughed and Liam approached her slowly "That can be arranged… on the condition that you go out with me again,"

Sarah scoffed. She couldn't believe that he'd ever think she'd go out with him again.

"Liam, how about you really listen this time, and try to get it into your thick skull. I will**never** go out with you, **ever again****!** That ship has sailed, mister! Goodbye! Now get your friend out of my way so I can get into the bar and continue with my evening."

Liam pressed her back against the brick wall before she had a chance to move, she squealed in surprise at the amount of force he used. "Not this time, babe. This time you won't push me away or humiliate me again! And if you won't go out with me again, I guess that's fine. You were a pain in the ass anyway. I'll just take what I want by force."

Sarah gasped in shock at his words, she knew Liam was an asshole, but surely he wouldn't try to rape her… would he?

He pressed his knee between her thighs as he leaned in close, trying to kiss her. Sarah struggled against him, crying out "Get off me! Liam, stop it!"

He ignored her, trying his best to lift up her t shirt even as she beat her fists against his chest. She screamed out for help but Liam's friend covered her mouth while the other held back her arms. Tears filled her eyes as she heard the young woman laughing behind her. This couldn't be happening.

"Didn't you hear her? She said stop it." Jareth's voice was dripping with ice and Liam quickly turned to face him. Sarah was surprised that he didn't flee right after being caught. He was a coward and would normally run away as soon as he was caught doing something he shouldn't.

"Who the hell are you?!" he spat

"Never mind who I am. Let the lady go. She asked you to stop and you didn't. I have a good mind to call the police on you for attempted rape."

Liam paled and he swallowed hard "She doesn't know what she wants. She's my girlfriend and she's errr... drunk,"

Jareth's eyes suddenly darkened and he grabbed Liam by the scruff of his shirt. "Don't lie." He spat in a hushed tone.

Liam sank back in fear again.

"Let Sarah go or you and your friends won't see the light of day again."

Liam looked to his friends, who were still holding Sarah back against the wall. "You- your threats mean nothing!" he shouted, even though his voice was shaking.

Jareth sighed. "What a pity." He let go of Liam and flicked his wrist. Within seconds, Liam and his friends had vanished, leaving Sarah against the wall by herself.

Jareth moved over to her quickly, speaking softly "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

She shook her head weakly "N-no…" She looked down at her shaking hands before looking back at him "What did you do to them?"

Jareth smirked "Well, let's just say that they really won't see the light of day again. I put them in an oubliette. And this time, there really is no way out. They won't be harming you again."

Sarah gave a shaky sigh "Thank you… if you hadn't of showed…"

"Somebody else would have… they wouldn't have gotten away with raping you in such a public place."

Sarah nodded weakly and Jareth pressed the cold bottle of Pepsi into her shaking hand. "Drink, it'll help with the shock…"

Not having to be told twice, she unscrewed the cap and took a long drink. Jareth was watching her with a concerned look in his eyes. "Do you want me to walk you back to your lodge? That is, if you want my company,"

Sarah had to admit that right now this was the last place she wanted to be, but at the same time, she didn't really want to go home either. If she told her parents they would only worry, and she really wanted them to enjoy this vacation without having to stress about her.

"I'm not ready to go back yet; and… I'd like your company, of course I would, you did just stop me from getting raped…How about a walk? I could use one after that."

Jareth seemed pleased at her answer and nodded "Sound's perfect. There's a pond near by that I wouldn't mind walking too. I think you'll like it."

Sarah almost choked on her Pepsi and her face went bright red. A knowing smirk turned up the lips of the Goblin King and Sarah gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "How did you-? How?!"

Jareth laughed "Of course I knew you were there, Sarah. I'm not so simple that I wouldn't hear you as you followed me back to my lodge. And yes, I am staying here. Strange coincidence and nothing more, I promise you that."

"That's kinda creepy… that you knew I was there, I mean."

Jareth shrugged "Maybe. But perhaps not as creepy as having someone spy on you while you're taking a swim."

When Sarah's face turned five shades of red brighter he laughed "There is no harm done. I don't mind that you watched me."

"I- you don't understand, I wasn't trying- I mean," Sarah stuttered as Jareth smirked again, saying gently "Like I said, there's no harm done. Come on, let's go."

Before she could reply, Jareth took her arm and lead her through the tress. They walked in silence for some time; Jareth was walking beside her, taking long elegant steps, the autumn leaves crunching under his feet as he walked.

"So… why are you staying here? Out of everywhere in the world you decide to come here?" she frowned "It seems strange to me…"

Jareth considered lying to her, but then decided it wasn't worth it. He'd rather be truthful with Sarah and earn her trust. "Honestly?"

Sarah nodded

"When you first defeated me, I often thought about you and decided to check up on you, to see how you were. One day when I did, you were staying here with your family. You looked so happy and carefree… it made me envious to see you so happy in this world. You know I wanted you to stay…" He looked at her, his eyes pained for a brief moment before he looked away and continued "I wondered what it was about this place that made you so happy, so I decided to pay it a visit. The peacefulness of this place really caught my attention, and the beauty of it. I enjoyed seeing how humans behaved when they were happy. It didn't take me long to fall in love with it, so I decided to stay here. This is actually my forth visit here. The owners are very friendly; they always keep the lodge by the pond free for me to stay in. It's my favourite one, and I like being able to sometimes look and feel like my normal self. If I was to stay in a lodge near to the others I'd have to glamour my appearance all the time and it would drain me,"

Sarah nodded in understanding "I see…"

"You do not hate me for watching over you at times?"

Sarah shook her head "No… surprisingly not. I'm not somebody that hates others simply for caring…I mean, don't get me wrong, I still find it odd that you would watch me, but I understand. I guess that's what I'm trying to say…"

He smiled at her then "You've matured, Sarah Williams… "

"I grew up. I suffered and I learned. I don't take anything for granted anymore. I'm not saying I'm perfect; I just appreciate the things I have now. And I'm grateful to you for showing me what really mattered to me. Family… Toby, so thanks…"

To say Jareth was surprised at her thanking him would be an understatement, He was downright shocked. He would never have imagined that the strong willed teen that'd defeated the Labyrinth and told him that he held no power over her, would be thanking him for showing her the things that really mattered in her life.

"You don't need to thank me, you need to thank yourself. Because you are the one who took those things from the experience. Instead of seeing the worst of the situation, growing bitter and hateful with time, you took the best and became forgiving and appreciative. You could hate me for what I did, but instead you take what happened as a lesson, and that's wonderful…"

Sarah shrugged but he noticed the blush on her cheeks "I'm just seeing things for what they are,"

They walked the rest of the way in silence; only the sound of leaves and twigs crunching beneath feet could be heard.

Soon they made it to the pond and Sarah gasped at the beautiful sight before her. The moon was full in the sky, reflecting its bright beams into the water.

Jareth smiled at her expression and spoke softly "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yes… it is," She breathed

"When I first saw it here at night… that was the moment I fell in love with it. You know, I'm considering buying this lodge."

Sarah turned slowly to look at him. "You'd buy it? Why not buy a log cabin somewhere else? I mean you could buy somewhere better than this,"

Jareth smirked "But why not here? It ticks all my boxes. It's far away enough from people that I can have privacy, but close enough to shops and pubs for when I want company. Why? Don't want me owning a place where you and your family visit?"

Sarah shook her head "It's not that. I just… I don't know, I guess if it was me I'd probably buy somewhere in another country but maybe that's because I've been coming here with my family since I was little. I'm a bit bored of coming here."

"Then why did you come? Surely you are old enough to make your own decisions now?"

"I guess it's a family tradition. I didn't have to come, but Dad and Toby would have been disappointed if I hadn't."

"You're close with your family, aren't you?" he sounded almost wistful as he said this, the moon light catching in his eyes as he gazed at her.

"Yes… I am now. Do… do you have any family?"

Jareth shook his head. "Not anymore… they passed away a long time ago."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Don't be…" he reassured her and offered her a soft smile. "Come, let me show you my lodge."

Sarah nodded in agreement and followed Jareth up the path. The door opened magically by itself and Jareth walked in, raising a hand, all the candles lit at once, bathing the room in a warm glow. Sarah glanced around. This lodge was amazing. There was a large open fire in the centre of the room, two very comfortable looking sofas, covered with sheepskins, on the walls hung some rather interesting paintings of forests and magical creatures.

"Whoa… was this decorated like this when you came here the first time?"

Jareth chuckled and closed the door "Not all of it. The pictures and sheep skins are my own touch. Oh, and the music is mine also."

Sarah turned around and gasped when she spotted the shelves that were filled with records, old and new and in the corner was a vintage record player.

She walked over to the shelves and started looking through them, a huge smile on her face.

"Oh my god… I've never seen such a good collection before. You even have 1940's swing music!"

Jareth laughed as he approached her. "You also enjoy 1940's swing music?"

"I do! My Grandmother used to play it in her house! We used to dance in the kitchen together." She smiled sadly at the fond memory.

Jareth pulled the record off the shelf "Then let's listen to it in her memory."

Sarah glanced up at him in surprise "How did you know she-?"

"Your eyes… I see sadness in them."

Sarah nodded "She was a great woman. I loved her dearly."

"She was the woman who gave you that book wasn't she? The one I wrote in to help you remember me"

"Yes, that was her." She blinked back tears that threatened to spill over and Jareth gently stroked her cheek

"Don't cry… I don't like seeing you upset," His voice was soft as he gazed down at her, his bare hand warm against her cheek.

"I'm sorry… I don't know when I became this sensitive." She tried to joke, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

Jareth rubbed her shoulder gently. "Sensitivity is beautiful, and nothing for you to feel ashamed of." He smiled softly, easing her fears.

Sarah nodded at him, watching as he pulled the record out of its sleeve, gently putting it in the record player and getting the needle to read the disk. It immediately started playing Louis Armstrong 'When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)' Sarah closed her eyes, enjoying the old crackling sound of the record player. It was comforting and it reminded her of happy Sundays with her Grandmother.

When she opened her eyes she caught Jareth gazing at her, his eyes soft as he admired her, lost in her memories.

"How about a dance?"

Sarah blinked in surprise and laughed weakly "Dance? Oh, I don't think so,"

"Oh, come on… it's not like we haven't done it before…"

Sarah blushes and shakes her head "I know… but it was a long time ago,"

"You were an excellent dancer back then, and probably even better now," he offered her his hand "One dance, in your Grandmother's memory… I promise I don't bite. Not unless you want me too," He winked and Sarah blushed again

"Oh, fine. But just one dance."

Jareth grinned as Sarah accepted his hand; he pulled her gently to him, resting his hand on her small waist, his other hand gently wrapping around her own. Slowly he started to lead her into the dance and Sarah followed him, blushing every time Jareth caught her gaze or smiled at her, giving her a good view of his sharp pointed teeth.

He gently turned her around, allowing her to do a little spin, her hair flowing from the movement. He was right. She was a wonderful dancer. Better than he remembered. She just seemed to know how to move to the music. He found himself becoming more comfortable with each minute, letting himself go a bit more, dancing in a way that he hadn't done in so long. Sarah almost seemed to lose herself to the music after awhile, her body moving slowly in time with the tune, her eyes closed as she appreciated the sound.

Jareth twirled her again and then pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her waist tightly. Sarah sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, eyes still closed blissfully as she swayed.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed dancing so much. Jareth was a good dancing partner that was certain. She opened her eyes and caught him gazing at her again, only this time there was a different look in his eyes, one that she'd seen before when they had last danced. Was it longing?

Breaking the silence between then she smiled and whispered "You're a good dancer, Goblin King."

Jareth smiled back at her, his eyes shining "As are you, Sarah Williams."

She chuckled softly and Jareth found himself relishing in her smile. It made him happy to see her looking at him with such genuine happiness reflecting in her eyes.

The song ended but neither of them was sure what it had ended. How long had they simply been standing there holding each other? Jareth moved away first, and Sarah quickly moved away after.

"Well… I think we need a coffee after all that dancing," Jareth said as he wondered into the kitchen "You do drink coffee don't you?" he asked as Sarah followed him. She laughed "Of course I drink coffee! It's the only thing that gets me up in the mornings,"

Jareth laughed "That's oddly relatable."

Sarah took a seat at the bar in the kitchen, watching as Jareth filled the coffee machine with fresh ground coffee. She'd never seen anything as outrageous as this before. Last time she'd seen Jareth he had been this sort of magical regal creature in his Labyrinth, all power and glory, and now here he was, wearing aboveground clothes and making her coffee in his lodge. She laughed and Jareth turned around, furrowing his brow "What's so funny?" he asked

"Everything," She giggled and Jareth smirked at her "Everything?"

"Just thinking how weird life is… you really don't ever know what's around the corner do you,"

Jareth nodded in understanding "No indeed. I wasn't expecting to have an evening as nice as this," he admitted, his eyes soft as he glanced at her once more.

Sarah smiled at him "Neither did I,"

Jareth smiled back at her before returning his attention back to making coffee.

Sarah took this time to admire the kitchen. She could see why Jareth loved this lodge so much; it was much nicer than the one they rented every year. It wasn't that their lodge wasn't nice – it was. But this lodge had a much cosier feeling to it than theirs did. The kitchen units were made of dark oak which contrasted nicely with the lighter, more yellowy pine flooring and walls.

There was a huge stove in the kitchen, one that Sarah knew Karen would be very jealous of if she saw it. And in the middle of the kitchen was an island made of the same dark oak as the kitchen units.

"I can see why you like it here," she said after a few more minutes hand gone by.

"Cosy isn't it?"

"Yeah, it kinda reminds me of a hunting lodge. I really enjoy this style. The lodge I am staying in with my parents is much more modern and I don't enjoy it as much,"

Jareth nodded "I think that is why I like this one so much – Cream and sugar?" he asked

Sarah nodded "Please,"

Jareth continued "I did stay in another lodge closer to the shops once; it was nice but not cosy like this one. I enjoy feeling the comforts while I am here. You probably remember that my castle isn't exactly 'cosy'" He sat on one of the leather stools by the island and passed Sarah her mug of coffee which she took with grateful thanks.

She watched as Jareth put a little cream into his coffee but went without sugar "You're castle could easily be made cosy with a little bit of a tidy up,"

"Perhaps so, but the Goblin's would only wreck it again. That's why I come here so often; it gives me that little break that I need and helps me to stop bogging so many Goblins."

Sarah laughed at this, almost spitting out her coffee. Jareth grinned, pleased that the idea of him bogging Goblins didn't upset her but amused her instead.

"I don't know how you live with them," she said after she managed to stop laughing. "I mean, they aren't all that bad but I don't think I could deal with living with them."

"Aren't all that bad? Oh, Sarah, you don't know the half of what they get up to. I sometimes find my clothes scattered about Goblin City because they think it's funny to steal my things and hang them up for everyone to see,"

Sarah tried to hide the smirk that was turning up the corners of her mouth but Jareth didn't miss it and he grinned as well

"It sounds funny now, but when I can't find my favorite shirt or boots it's not so funny,"

Sarah nodded, imagining that it must actually be very frustrating. She remembered when Toby was little, he used to go into her room and take her things and it used to frustrate the hell out of her.

"Yeah, I know how frustrating it can be. Toby was a terror for that back in the day," she sighed, shaking her head before taking another sip of her coffee.

"I wouldn't be surprised to hear it, bless him." Jareth smiled "After all, he must have picked up something after spending thirteen hours with Goblins,"

"Yeah…I never thought of that,"

"Well, how is he now? What is he like?" Jareth asked after sipping from his mug again

"He's mostly good but like any kid, he has his moments. He gets very lonely sometimes, though. Both my parents work most of the time, and I moved out last year so he's not had me around as much. I sometimes feel bad about it…" she admitted as she nibbled her bottom lip nervously.

Jareth spoke softly, leaning over the kitchen island slightly "You shouldn't feel bad, Sarah. You have to get on with your own life, that isn't a crime."

"I know… but because he misses me so much it makes me feel bad for leaving him,"

"I understand, but I'm sure that Toby doesn't hold it against you. He is close with you still is he not?"

Jareth was right. She was close with Toby and he never once complained or been bitter about her leaving. He was just always happy to see her when she came to visit.

"I guess you're right," she smiled, relaxing again. She finished her coffee and moved to put her mug in the sink but something caught her eye; in the corner of the kitchen, leaning up against the kitchen unit was an acoustic six stringed guitar.

"Yes, I play," Jareth answered her unspoken question from behind her, making her jump a bit as she hadn't heard him approach her.

"Can you play something now?" she asked excitedly as she picked up the instrument and passed it to him. Jareth chuckled at her eagerness to hear him play.

"Hmm… let me think," he tapped his chin with his finger, contemplating what to play her. After a moment he smiled to himself and sat down, his fingers beginning to pluck expertly at the guitar strings. Sarah immediately recognized the song. It was their song. The one he'd sung to her in the peach dream. Hearing it again after such a long time made her feel strangely nostalgic and she smiled with the fond memories of dancing with Jareth all those years ago.

After he finished playing the song Sarah clapped and he laughed, bowing his head. "Well thank you, my dear, I appreciate your applause."

"You deserve it! That was amazing, you play so well,"

Jareth put the guitar back on its stand and thanked Sarah once again for her praise.

"Would you like to see the rest of the place?" he asked when he noticed Sarah glancing curiously at the stairs.

"Are you sure? I'm sorry, I'm being nosy-"

"Not at all, Come on, let me show you upstairs."

Sarah ran her hand up the soft wooden banister as she followed Jareth upstairs. He showed her the bathroom first; it was small but still nice. There was a large corner bath and a shower, toilet and a sink under the small window that had a lovely view of the forest. Then he showed her the bedroom. He pushed open the door and allowed Sarah in. The room was quite small; there was a double bed which was covered with a think grey knitted blanket and lots of pillows; the bed was quite low the ground which made it seem all the more cosy Sarah thought. The ceiling was slanted on both sides, and on the side closest to the bed was a large window, which meant that when laying in the bed you could admire the tops of the trees.

"Wow… this is amazing," she whispered as she walked around the room. There was a chest of draws with a small TV on top of it, and fire place, but other than that it was empty, except for a lamp that was stood on the window sill and a soft rug covering the floor by the bed.

"Nice isn't it? I know that is quite a small room, but as it's only me I don't need anything bigger. I even quite like that its small,"

Sarah giggled "Maybe it's you owl side coming out,"

Jareth's pulled a confused expression until Sarah explained "You know, owls have nests, maybe that is why you like this room, its small and cosy sort of like a nest… you know, you being able to transform into an owl and all,"

Jareth grinned "I never thought of that but it's certainly a possibility," He crossed the room and sat on the edge of his bed. "Sometimes, on an extra cold night I light the fire in here. Because it's such a small room it warms up quickly."

"How wonderful…" she watched as Jareth sighed and lay back on his bed, folding his arms above his head. The full moon was shining in through the window and was bathing him in silver light. She wasn't sure when it happened, but she suddenly found herself sitting beside him. He smiled at her gently and tapped the spot beside him, inviting her to lie back on the bed next to him.

She wasn't sure what compelled her to lie beside him, but she did, and Jareth turned his head to look at her, smiling softly before he turned his attention back to the window. "Look," he whispered

Sarah gazed out the window, the sight of the full moon peeking out from the top of the trees look her breath away.

"You're lucky to have such a beautiful view of the sky," she whispered back to him after a moment

"I know I am." He looked at her again, gently lifting his hand to move some dark hair away from her eyes. She gazed back at him for a moment and then sat up, sighing. "I should be getting back… it must be really late…"

Jareth sat up as well, hoping that he hadn't frightened her. Perhaps he'd overstepped the line by touching her hair. He nodded and spoke softly "Of course… but as it's so late, allow me to make life easier for you," he took her arm and Sarah gasped as the world seemed to spin around her, but before she'd even properly registered what was happening, it stopped, and she found herself standing outside her lodge.

"I- how did you-?"

Jareth just grinned "I took it upon myself to transport you back. Save you from walking,"

Sarah smiled thankfully, she had been dreading the walk back if she was honest, especially after all that had almost happened with Liam; not that she had any reason to worry about that, for Liam and his friends were locked in an oubliette in the Underground. "Thank you, Jareth….thank you for everything… saving me from being raped, taking me to your lodge… it means a lot to me,"

He took her hand; lifting it to his lips he brushed a gentle kiss on the top. "You are always welcome, my dear. I hope to bump into you again soon,"

"Why don't you bump into me again at breakfast time tomorrow? I'll meet you in the restaurant?"

Jareth grinned, surprised but glad that Sarah wanted to spend more time with him. "I'd love too, Sarah."

She smiled up at him, her eyes shining in the moon light. He looked so beautiful right now, with the light of the moon lighting up his pale hair. "Goodnight, Jareth." She whispered and then turned away from him and began walking up the stairs leading to the balcony. When she reached the door, she turned back and saw Jareth still standing there, a little smile still present on his lips.

"Goodnight, Sarah…"

_**AN: So there it is! what did you guys think? **_


	4. Chapter 4

AN: _I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update this! I've been focusing on my other stories but I decided to start working on this one again! I hope you like this chapter. Please don't forget to leave a review._

Chapter 4

* * *

Sarah pushed open the door to the restaurant, smiling when her nostrils were met with the strong scent of freshly ground coffee and cooked breakfasts.

Entering the room she glanced around, her eyes searching for the Goblin King. There were a few elderly couples seated randomly around the room at their tables having breakfast, but other than that it was quite empty.

Nerves began to sink in and she began to wonder if she'd been a little silly for inviting Jareth to breakfast after only spending a few short hours in his company.

She wandered over to a table near the window. It was comfortably situated in the corner of the room and far enough away from the other people in the room, which she liked.

Taking off her denim jacket, Sarah sat down on the worn leather booth bench, nervously twirling her fingers in her hair as she noticed the waitress eye her from behind the bar.

She turned to look out the window, watching as a few autumnal leaves fell slowly from the trees. It was a glorious day today. It wasn't yet 9:00 and the sun was already high and bright in the clear blue sky.

"Breakfast for one?"

Sarah glanced up to find the waitress standing before her with her note pad and pen at the ready.

"Um, two actually, I'm waiting for someone." She told her, anxiously fiddling with the napkin on the table.

"Ok. I'll come back in a few minutes?"

Sarah nodded her thanks and the waitress offered her a small smile in return before heading back behind the bar.

Sarah picked up the menu, looking through it nervously, reading all the various options of food she could eat despite losing her appetite. Anything to keep herself busy for a few moments. Her mind was already running away with her and anxiety was beginning to take over. She had to keep reassuring herself that he wouldn't stand her up. She'd had such a good night with Jareth last night; she didn't have any reason nervous. He wouldn't do that to her. Had he not been interested in spending time with her he would have never agreed to meet her for breakfast in the first place.

He was just running late. He would turn up soon.

She read through the menu until she'd memorized the simple breakfast selection and prices. Every now and again the door would open and Sarah would glance over the menu to see if it was him, only to be disappointed all over again when it wasn't.

Half an hour passed and the waitress had already tried to move her to another table. It was humiliating, to say the least, but she wouldn't give up her table just yet.

"Please Ma'ma, we have a table for one just around the corner."

"Please, I've said it twice already, I'm expecting somebody."

The waitress sighed and folded her arms. "With all due respect, I don't think it's fair that you are taking up a table that would fit a small family of three while you wait for somebody that still hasn't turned up. You haven't even ordered anything."

Sarah ran her fingers through her hair, feeling more than a little frustrated. "Fine. I'll order a pot of coffee. Will that allow me to keep my seat?"

"Perhaps for a little while..." The waitress sighed, "Please know that we would never try to move you if we weren't so busy today. Saturday is our busiest day." She explained, her expression sincere.

Sarah sighed, "Look, I'm not trying to be difficult. I just can't lose this seat yet. I'm meant to be meeting somebody here! Just... give me another fifteen minutes or so to see if he arrives. If he doesn't, I will have my coffee and leave."

The waitress agreed reluctantly and headed out to the kitchen to get the pot of coffee Sarah had ordered.

Sarah glanced out the window for what felt like the one-hundredth time as she impatiently began tapping her nails against the old wooden table.

This was embarrassing on a whole new level because not only had she caused a scene by refusing to give up her table, but she had also humiliated herself by actually making an effort for him. She never took the time to do anything with her hair and yet this morning she had actually bothered to curl it. She had curled it for him. Like some silly schoolgirl with a crush. And that stung more than she thought it would.

"Why are you still like this, Sarah?" she whispered to herself as she caught her reflection in the glass of the large window. "When are you going to start acting like an adult..."

"Here you go, Ma'ma."

Sarah nodded her thanks weakly as the waitress placed the tray with coffee, milk, and sugar on the table.

She grabbed the coffee pot and immediately poured some of the delicious coffee into her mug. Normally she would have added sugar and milk, but today she found herself craving something stronger than she would usually want.

She glanced at the clock which conveniently hung just opposite her table.

10:00

"Unbelievable." She whispered, lifting her mug to her lips even as she felt tears sting her eyes but she would not cry, damnit. Not over him. Not over any guy again. She had waisted too many tears on men already while on vacation and she wasn't about to waste anymore.

Okay, so he hadn't shown up. So what? He wasn't the first guy to stand her up and he probably wouldn't be the last. So why did she feel so bummed out?

_"Because last night was the most fun I've had in so long...I guess I thought we had this... connection. I mean, he saved me from being raped by one of the biggest losers on the planet! but even aside from that, we had a good time together. He seemed nice..." _

She shook her head again, laughing at her childishness.

_"And that's exactly why I shouldn't date or even talk to men. I am a terrible judge of character, apparently. I mean, I dated a fucking idiot for two years and thought it was love! That moron who I thought I knew tried to rape me! And me thinking that the Goblin King was 'NICE'... well, that just goes to show how bad I am at this bullshit."_

She finished her mug of coffee quickly and grabbed her jacket from the back on her chair, putting it back on before she walked up to the waitress.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble. How much do I owe for the coffee?"

The waitress smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry about it. This one's on the house. I'm sorry your date didn't turn up-"

"Don't be. Thanks for offering the coffee free of charge but I don't feel comfortable with that when I wasn't even willing to give up my table. Just take this $10? I hope that makes up for it." Without another word she pushed open the double doors and walked out, leaving a very surprised waitress watching after her.

Sarah didn't bother to hide her bad mood when she got back to lodge. Karen had cooked a fried breakfast and she, Toby, and Robert were sat up at the table eating when Sarah walked in and shut the door a little too hard.

Robert looked up from his plate of food. "Ah, Sarah, you're home. I was wondering when you'd be back."

Karen noticed how sad Sarah seemed and she quickly wiped her mouth with her napkin and put down the spoon she'd been using to eat her grapefruit with. "Are you alright, Sarah?"

Sarah shrugged, "Not really feeling that well... but I don't wanna talk about it. I might just go and read in my room for a while."

Karen and Robert both gave her concerned looks but didn't push her to tell them anything more. No doubt she would come to them when she was ready to talk about it.

"Alright, dear. Do you want some breakfast? There's plenty here if you do-"

"Thanks, but no thanks. Eating is the last thing on my mind right now." She turned and ran up the stairs without another word.

Karen sighed and looked at her husband with a glint of sadness in her bright blue eyes.

"I'm starting to worry about her... She really hasn't been herself at all so far on this vacation..."

Robert wiped his mouth on his napkin and leaned over to rub his wife's knee under the table. "Hey, don't worry...she'll be fine. The first few days on vacation are always the worst. It's hard to loosen up at first but give her a few days of relaxation and she'll be just fine." He said, gently reassuring her with his words and a warm genuine smile which seemed to ease her in seconds and reminded her of how much she loved him.

"You're right... I'm probably worrying for no reason."

"Are you?" came a little voice from beside them.

Both Robert and Karen glanced at Toby with raised brows. "What did you say, Toby?" Robert asked curiously.

"I'm just saying... I think Sarah is sad. Not feeling unwell like she said she was." He said, matter-of-fact as he stabbed his egg with his fork.

"What makes you think she is sad?" Karen asked, taking a knife and helping Toby by cutting the egg up for him. He pouted and folded his arms as he watched her, not doing a very good job of hiding his annoyance. He had been handling that egg just fine. He didn't need his Mom to cut everything up for him anymore.

"I can just tell she is sad." He replied simply before grabbing his plastic cup of orange juice and downing the contents in a few seconds.

Robert sighed as he reached for his newspaper. "You shouldn't say things you don't know for sure, Toby."

Toby shrugged, grabbing his fork and finishing his breakfast without another word.

* * *

Jareth stormed into the castle beyond the Goblin City. His rage was apparent on his fine features, his normally pale complexion was flushed with the anger he felt coursing through his veins.

Every goblin that saw him either hid from him or stood as far back from him as they could. They knew just how bad his temper could be and they did not want to be on the receiving end of it.

Fenris watched his King storm through the long halls towards him and knew he was in for a verbal thrashing.

He wasn't wrong.

Jareth approached him, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "When I said I was on holiday and did not want to be disturbed I meant it!" he raged as he approached his adviser who stood tall with hands clasped behind his back.

"Your Majesty, surely you know that I wouldn't have interrupted your holiday had it not been important. And this is an important – urgent, even – situation."

"Well, spit it out then!" Jareth barked irritably.

"I don't know what you've done while you've been away but some human boys were found prowling around the Labyrinth."

Jareth stared at Fenris in shock, his anger momentarily slipping away to be replaced by confusion. "How in all of God's name did they get out of the Oubliette?!"

Fenris sighed, "The Dwarf-"

"Hogwart!" He shouted, slamming his gloved fist against the wooden barrel beside him, "I should have guessed that he had something to do with this!"

"I do not believe he is to blame completely, sire. The dwarf told me himself that they threatened him. One of the boys even beat him."

Jareth raised an elegant eyebrow. "Beat him? Where is Hogsbreath?"

Fenris motioned him to towards the door leading into the next room.

Without another word, Jareth pushed open the doors and stormed into the next room, glaring when he saw Hoggle lounging casually on one of the large lovesac's with a huge mug of goblin ale in one hand while female goblin's fawned all over him. Brushing what little hair he still had, massaging his feet, feeding him grapes. The sight actually made Jareth feel a little sick.

"Hogsnort!"

Hoggle jumped from the surprise of hearing his King's voice. He had not been expecting to see him and the sheer volume of Jareth's voice had shocked him so much that he had dropped his mug of goblin ale all over himself and the lovesac. All the female goblins ran from the room as fast as they could.

"Why did ya have to go'n shout like that!" He cried, briefly forgetting who he was talking to.

Jareth said nothing as he approached the dwarf, inspecting him closely. "Beaten? Really, Higgle, that's the worst lie I've ever heard you tell."

Hoggle gulped, backing up against the wall, "I has no idea what ya talkin' bout," he lied, unable to look Jareth in the eyes even as he crouched down to his height, starring directly at him.

"Don't. Lie."

"I's ain't lyin'! I did get beaten'" Hoggle quickly rolled up his sleeve and showed Jareth the large cut on his arm.

Jareth looked at the cut for a few seconds before pushing his arm away roughly. "Do you think I'm stupid? You've had that cut on your arm since you fell off that table in the tavern! Tell me the truth or I will throw you headfirst in the bog of et-"

"Okay! Okay!" He cried, throwing his arms up in the air. "Fine..."

Jareth cocked his head to the side, resting his gloved hand against his chin. "Spit it out, I haven't got all day."

Hoggle gulped and looked both ways, making sure nobody was listening in on their conversation. "The boys in the Oubliette...they stole me things. Me jewels... " he gulped again when he noticed the Goblin King's eyes narrow and darken. "They took em.' I don't own much but me jewels are me pride and joy!"

"So what you're telling me is those foolish boys took your jewels and to get them back you lead them out of the tunnels and into the Labyrinth?"

There was something about the calmness in Jareth's voice which sent a cold chill down Hoggle's spine and made him want to run for the hills as fast as his little legs could carry him.

"...Yes?"

"You bloody fool!" He grabbed Hoggle by the scruff of his shirt and pressed him firmly up against the wall, causing the dwarf to cry out in fear, struggling to be free from his tight grip.

"You let three foolish boys out of the oubliette just so you could get back your crummy plastic jewels! Do you realize what you've done?!"

"They ain't crummy! They are all I's got!"

"They aren't even worth anything!"

"They are's to me!" Hoggle cried back, gripping Jareth's wrist, trying to free himself from his grasp. Hoggle's sleeve rolled up just enough for Jareth to notice the old, scratched plastic bracelet around his wrist, and suddenly it all made sense.

"Sarah?"

Hoggle swallowed hard and nodded weakly. "This is all I's 'ave to remember her by... they took it from me and tried to break it! I couldn't let that happen."

Jareth loosened his grip on Hoggle and watched as he dropped to the floor, gasping for breath.

"What you don't realize, Hoghead, is that those boys tried to rape Sarah and that is why they were locked in that Oubliette in the beginning. And now you have exposed them to our world. The worst part is, if they reach the castle, they will return to the Above where they can hurt Sarah and expose our world to everyone. Well done, Hogbrush. You've really fucked this up."

Hoggle sat on the floor with his mouth wide open, eyes wide in shock. "Th-they's...they's been tryin' to hurt Sarah?" he stuttered, his voice laced with concern.

Jareth turned away from Hoggle, glancing down at his hands."Had I not been there they would have succeeded..."

Hoggle swallowed hard and shakily got to his feet, grunting softly."Then they can't reach the castle!"

"No, they can't."

"Then let me stop 'em! I'm good at takin' 'em back to the beginnin'!"

Jareth scoffed, "Seriously?"

Hoggle placed his hand's on his hips. "Was different then... That was Sarah. I promise ya I'll lead 'em back to the beginnin' this time. I won't let 'em reach the castle, I swear's it."

Jareth turned to him, giving him a serious look. A look that meant business. "You better had, Hogbrush. If you don't..."

"I knows,I knows! ya will put me in the bog, I get's it."

Jareth nodded, "Then be off with you. Don't disappoint me." He watched as Hoggle grabbed his hat and disappeared out the door.

Sighing, Jareth turned and walked back into the throne room. He found Fenris standing by the door, obviously awaiting his return.

"The dwarf has gone to lead them back to the beginning of the Labyrinth. If we're lucky, they will take a wrong turn and fall right back into the Oubliette."

Fenris furrowed his brow, confusion etched upon his face. "The dwarf? Wasn't he hurt? Why would you make him go after them when you know they hurt him?"

Jareth let out a roar of laughter and shook his head, patting his adviser on the shoulder. "Hoggle got that damn scratch from falling from a table in the Tavern. Don't let him fool you, Fenris. He is much more clever then we give him credit for."

Fenris opened his mouth to speak but Jareth shook his head. "The dwarf knows the Labyrinth like the back of his hand. Keep an eye on him, by all means, but believe me, he's the one for this job. Should he run into any troubles, send Ludo and Didymus to his aid." He patted Fenris on the shoulder again before striding back down the corridors towards the entrance doors.

"Where are you going?" Fenris called after him, still very confused.

"Back on holiday!" He replied before vanishing in a swirl of mist and glitter.

* * *

Robert's suggestion to go to the funfair had proven to be a good idea despite Sarah's reluctance to go. Toby had begged her to join them and in the end, she'd caved. She couldn't ever seem to say no to Toby even when she wasn't in the best mood.

Her mood now, however, was much brighter. Perhaps it was the warm fairy lights that hung in every tree that had lightened her mood. Or maybe it was simply the thrill of enjoying the lighthearted fun of the Ferris wheel. Or was it was the spooky thrill of the ghost train? Or the sweet taste of cotton candy on her tongue? Whatever it was, she felt better and that was a relief not only to her but to all the family.

Sarah squeaked when Toby's sticky hand grabbed her own and he pulled her towards the carousel. "Can we ride on it together? Pleaseee!" He begged, giving her his biggest, bluest eyes.

Sarah rolled her eyes and laughed, "Oh, alright then... but only if we can convince Dad and Mom to get on as well. Deal?"

"Hell yeah! Deal!" He ran over to Robert and Karen as fast as he could, grabbing both their hands, making Sarah laugh when she noticed Karen cringe from the stickiness. He pulled them over to the carousel and jumped up and down excitedly in front of them. Obviously, all that sugar had made him hyper.

"Please can we ALL go on the carousel together? Please! Please! pleaseeee!" He pleaded, clasping both hands together and giving them both the big innocent eyes expression that he had given his sister only moments before.

Sarah had to laugh. He was a crafty kid already and he was only six years old. He had already mastered getting his own way.

Robert smiled down at his son, unable to hold it back any longer. It was so good to see his kids having such a good time. He was so used to working and sometimes he really felt like he had missed out on a lot, so having a vacation like this, all together as a family, always meant a lot to him.

"Well, let me see if I have some spare change first, okay?" He laughed, patting Toby's head affectionately before he slid his hand in his pocket, pulling out a few coins and a stick of gum that Sarah cheekily took from him before he had a chance to stop her.

"I have just about enough. Karen? Do you fancy a little ride on the Carousel?"

Toby gazed hopefully up at his mother.

"Well..." Karen looked down at Toby and then back at her husband."If I go on with you then who will take the photos?" She said, holding up the camera she had hanging around her neck. "Besides, how can I get on a carousel when I'm dressed like this?" She laughed, pointing at her long floral summer dress which was complete with shoulder pads and a bright blue belt around her waist. Sarah wanted to laugh when she noticed the pretty white heels she wore which looked like they hadn't enjoyed the being worn in the forest.

"Alright, honey, you stay and take pictures of us," He knelt down and whipped some chocolate from Toby's face. "Me, you, and Sarah will go on the carousel together."

Toby didn't seem to care that Karen wasn't joining them and he nodded, giggling excitedly as Robert stood once more. "Great! Let's go!"

Sarah and Karen laughed as Robert and Toby ran to the carousel together. It was unbelievably cute and Karen couldn't resist taking a quick picture. "Something to look back on when we're old and grey." She'd said.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take the pictures, Karen?" Sarah teased, lightly nudging her stepmother in the ribs.

Karen laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, no, I insist. Go on."

Sarah chuckled and joined Robert and Toby on the carousel.

* * *

They stayed at the funfair for about another hour before Toby finally gave in to sleep and Robert had to carry him back to the lodge. Sarah had decided to stay at the funfair for a while longer, though. She loved the atmosphere and she really wanted to eat some junk food, unlike her parents, who had arranged to go back to the lodge and have something home-cooked.

"Are you sure you don't want to come back with us?" Karen asked as she put Robert's jacket on. It had become a little chilly and Karen had been very grateful when Robert had given her his jacket before carrying Toby back.

"Nah, I just want to stay out a bit longer and eat some pizza. Besides, as Toby is asleep it means you and Dad can get some quality alone time together." Sarah told her.

"Are you sure? Will you be alright on your own?" She gently took Sarah's hands in hers, becoming serious. "I know you were sad about something earlier... if you need somebody to talk to, I am here, okay?"

Feeling touched, Sarah hugged her stepmother gently. "Thank you... but I'm fine now, really..."

"Alright." Karen smiled and squeezed Sarah's hands before following after Robert.

Sarah watched her for a little while, making sure she reached Robert safely.

When her parents were far from view, Sarah turned back to the funfair. She wandered around for a while, watching people enjoy themselves on the rides. The air was filled with music and the sound of laugher and delighted screams that would put anybody in a good mood.

On her way over to get some food, she passed a few people playing a shooting game. All of them were complaining about how hard it was and that nobody could ever win at it – and that was enough for Sarah to want a go.

She quickly paid the guy and he gave her a gun, shaking his head as he watched her roll up her sleeves and throw her hair back behind her shoulders.

The group of people gathered around to watch as she lifted the gun up to her shoulder, her eyes narrowing and focusing on the moving targets.

1,2,3.

Sarah smiled proudly as she watched the targets fall. The group of people behind her cheered and the guy behind the stall looked pleasantly surprised at her victory. He had not been expecting her to shoot down one target let alone all three.

"I'm quite impressed by that, Missy." He admitted.

Sarah smiled proudly, handing the gun back to him. "My Dad used to take me clay pigeon shooting when I was a teen so I've had a lot of practice with moving targets."

"I bet no men dare to mess with you!" He laughed as he placed the gun back. "Which prize do you want, kid?"

Sarah looked at the many brightly colored toys hanging up, wondering which one she should pick. After a few minutes of consideration, she decided on the brown teddy bear with the missing eye. He looked like he needed some love and Toby would be just the kid to give it to him.

The man had laughed at her choice but didn't bother trying to talk her into choosing something better and Sarah had walked away with the teddy tucked under her arm.

Her stomach grumbled and Sarah quickly ran to the stall that sold all her favorite junk food. She ordered herself a small pizza and some cheesy fries and a can of something overly sugary to drink.

With her arms full, she wandered around trying to find someplace quiet to eat. Eventually, she found a little spot behind a ride that was closed for the night. She still had a great view of the funfair infront of her, but being here meant she would also have the privacy she wanted while she ate.

Sitting on the floor with her legs crossed and her food set out on the grass in front of her, she didn't hear as somebody approached her.

"Sarah?"

She glanced up, sighing when she saw Jareth gazing down at her. once again Sarah noticed he was in his 'normal person' disguise. His wild hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, the markings around his eyes were gone but his brows swooped upward still. He wore the black leather trousers she had seen him in yesterday, boots, and a loose-fitting black shirt with a white t-shirt beneath it and his leather jacket over the top. Sarah noticed the medallion he always wore peeking through his shirt and she briefly wondered why he was never without it.

"What do you want?" She asked, not bothering to be too friendly with him. She was still hurt about what had happened this morning.

"I've been trying to find you for a while...I came to apologize for not joining you for breakfast this morning-"

"You only had to say if you didn't want to meet up with me again, Jareth. That would have been the polite thing to do. It was pretty humiliating to be sat in the restaurant for over an hour waiting for you to turn up." She interrupted, folding her arms.

Jareth sighed, "It wasn't like that, Sarah... please allow me to explain everything?"

Sarah shrugged, acting like she didn't really care if he explained or not.

Jareth sat beside her on the ground, folding his long legs. "Last night was very enjoyable for me. I enjoyed the time I spent with you and I was genuinely looking forward to having breakfast with you this morning, but just as I was about to join you, I got called back to the Underground."

Sarah's head snapped towards him. "I-Oh..." she trailed off, suddenly feeling a little bit guilty for being mad at him.

"Yes... I had to sort out something going on in the Labyrinth. I was most frustrated to miss out on spending time with you again..."

Sarah looked away from him, idly running her fingers through the long grass beside her. "I hadn't thought about the possibility of you getting called back..." she told him honestly.

Jareth gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry if I hurt you. As I said, it was never my intention to do so and I hope that you can forgive me for any embarrassment I might have put you through today."

Sarah sighed, glancing at the man who sat beside her. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault if you got called away...I guess I was angry because I'm used to men standing me up just for the hell of it and no matter how many times it happens to me, I just keep falling for it over and over again. So I was angrier at myself than I was at you."

Jareth frowned, "Why would you be angry at yourself? You weren't to know that any of those men would do that to you."

"That's exactly what I mean, though. I'm just a terrible judge of character..."

Jareth shook his head, keeping his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "The men are the issue, not you, Sarah. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself." He whispered, gently placing his arm around her and pulled her to him when he noticed the tears in her eyes.

Sarah wasn't sure why she was crying and she cursed herself for breaking down in front of him but she did not resist as he pulled her to him, gently rubbing her shoulder to comfort her.

"Fuck... I'm so embarrassed at myself," She laughed through her tears, trying to wipe them away with her sleeve.

Jareth shook his head, gently stroking her hair in a comforting way that nobody outside of her family ever had before. "Don't be, Sarah..."

The softness of his voice and the gentle caress of his hand over her shoulder and her hair made her gaze up at him, her teary eyes searching his for answers. Why was he being so kind to her? What made him take her into his arms when she was crying?

Jareth only gave her a gentle smile and wiped her tears with his thumb. "No more tears... why don't you eat before your food gets cold?"

Sarah nodded, managing a weak smile. "Okay... will you join me? My eyes were bigger than my stomach and I ordered way too much food." She chuckled as she reached for the box of pizza.

"That's very kind of you to offer. Are you sure? You seemed like you were having a good time by yourself before I turned up."

Sarah shook her head, "I was trying to make the best of it but I was lonely... I'm always lonely. Please stay... We didn't get breakfast together so let's just enjoy this junk food?"

With a broad smile, Jareth agreed and the two of them shared the food that Sarah had brought.

* * *

"What is this... awful feeling?" Jareth groaned, resting his hand on his stomach.

"That, my friend, is the feeling of regret," Sarah told him, fanning herself with her hand.

Jareth chuckled and laid back on the grass, not caring that it was a little damp. "Do you often eat food like that?" he asked

"Not often... it tastes so good but the feeling after is horrible." She said, glancing down at him with a small smirk on her lips. "Food coma?"

"You could say that." He chuckled, reaching into his pocket he pulled out his box of cigarettes, taking one from the packet he lit it with the lighter he had in his jacket pocket.

Sarah watched as he lay on the ground smoking. She wasn't sure why it was so amusing to see him like this. Jareth was this glorious otherworldly creature and yet here he lay on the grass, smoking a cigarette after eating too much junk food with her.

Jareth noticed her amused giggle and he raised an elegant brow. "Something amusing?"

"Yeah," she laughed, "You acting and looking all human! It's so strange to see you like this."

"Is that a good or a bad thing?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out!" She laughed.

Unimpressed with her answer, Jareth transformed back into his natural self. Complete with his messy wild hair, markings around his eyes, and his signature grey tights that left **nothing** to the imagination.

Sarah immediately stopped laughing when she looked back at him and noticed his transformation. She gazed at him, admiring his otherworldly beauty as he lay on the ground with the light of the full moon shining on him.

As handsome as he was in his 'normal disguise' nothing compared to just how handsome he was when he was being himself.

"Better?" He whispered as he slipped the cigarette between his lips and took a long drag, exhaling the smoke through his mouth and nose like some sort of beautiful dragon.

"M-much." She stuttered, still mesmerized by him.

Jareth, of course, had noticed the way she was starring at him, and while he very much enjoyed that, he decided not to tease her for it.

"Join me?" He asked, offering her his cigarette.

Sarah smiled as she lay down next to him on the ground, taking the offered cigarette from him. "Thanks."

Jareth watched her as she smoked, admiring her as her hair blew softly around her, the dark strands dancing with the smoke as she exhaled.

"I've been thinking..." She whispered after a few moments of silence between them, "Maybe it would be better if we didn't arrange to do things together... maybe we should just see if we bump into each other and take it from there?"

Jareth couldn't help but feel a little bit disappointed that he and Sarah wouldn't be arranging to meet up again – but he also understood why she didn't want that. "Leave it to fate?" he said, turning his head to look at her, smiling as she turned onto her side, pressing the cigarette to his lips.

"Yes... fate." She whispered, "I just think it would be better that way..."

Jareth nodded in agreement. "Very well... I suppose we'll just see if we are meant to see each other again... and if not, at least we've had tonight."

Sarah nodded weakly, trying not to feel a little sad at the idea that they might not see each other again after tonight, but she knew these arranged meetups wouldn't work for them. It would be too frustrating if they arranged to meet and he couldn't make it for some reason. She didn't want to spend her vacation waiting and she knew Jareth would feel the same if it was the other way around.

So, fate would be in charge this time.

"The night is still young..." He glanced at her, the side of his face illuminated by the silver moonlight.

"Hmm... I guess it is. And I promised Dad and Karen some privacy tonight." She smiled, "What are you thinking?"

"Well, we've eaten. You've already enjoyed the funfair," he gestured to the teddy bear laying on the grass beside her, "How about some dancing?"

"Dancing?" She looked surprised."We danced together last night."

"Yes, in my tiny lodge. not in a public place with live music and twinkle lights. It might be fun?"

Sarah laughed, "I wasn't aware that Goblin King's cared so much about live music and twinkle lights." She teased, taking the end of the cigarette from his lips and putting it out on the ground.

"Goblin King's don't, but beautiful human women do." He sat up, his wild main of hair was once again back in a tidy ponytail, his eye markings and otherworldly clothes were once again replaced by his 'normal' disguise.

Sarah blushed at his compliment despite trying very hard to act unaffected by his words. Jareth, of course, noticed the blush.

Standing, he took the empty pizza box and other empty containers to the trash can. Sarah grabbed the teddy bear and stuffed it into her jacket pocket. It looked a little bulky, but at least she wouldn't have to carry it.

Jareth walked back towards her, smiling down at her he offered her his hand, "Let's dance."

Sarah couldn't stop the smile from turning up the corners of her mouth as she slid her hand into his, allowing him to pull her up.

Once she was on her feet, Jareth offered her his arm. She took it.

And the two of them walked out of the fairground, arm in arm...

* * *

**AN: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please don't forget to review! **


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